title: Surface ECG vector characteristics of organized and disorganized atrial activity during atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to examine atrial organization from vectorcardiograms (VCGs) derived from the surface ECG of atrial fibrillatory waves.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrieved ECGs recorded during ventricular asystole from 22 patients with AF undergoing ablation of the AV junction. The synthesized VCG of each f-wave cycle of each ECG and its plane of best fit, described by azimuth and elevation angles relative to the frontal plane, were computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen of the 22 ECGs had at least 30% of the planes in a single 30-degree region of azimuth angles. Of these 15, 12 had the greatest percentage of planes with azimuth angles within 30 degrees of the sagittal plane; two were near the frontal plane; and one near the right anterior oblique plane.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Varying degrees of organization were observed from VCGs of fibrillatory waves with the more organized examples having planes predominately near the sagittal plane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Alan V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Sahakian
authors.forename: Westby G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swiryn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001283:Atrioventricular Node / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000145:classification; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014672:Vectorcardiography / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods