title: [Usefulness of simple scheme for the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether an algorythm designed at our Electrophysiology Unit could facilitate the electrocardiographic diagnosis of tachyarrhythmias.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty two first-year cardiology residents, general practitioners and last-year medical students attended an electrophysiology course. One hundred ECG of tachyarrhythmic patients were distributed to the participants who were then randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A analyzed the ECG with the help of the algorythm, whereas Group B analyzed them without it. Results were compared to those obtained by an electrophysiologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group A diagnosis coincided with that of the electrophysiologist in 41% of the cases. In Group B the concordance reached 64% (p = 0.0000013). There was no between-group difference regarding the type and number of uninterpreted ECG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decision tree increases diagnostic accuracy in less expert hands. This could in turn entail an improvement in the therapeutic measures applied to the study of arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares "Dr. Abdel M. Fuenmayor P." de la Universidad de Los Andes, Hospital Universitario de Los Andes. ajf@cantv.net
authors.forename: Abdel J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fuenmayor
authors.forename: Lissette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aranguibel
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Moisés
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pulido
authors.forename: Abdel M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fuenmayor
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000175:diagnosis*