Artefacts in continuous ECG recordings--provoking and preventing manoeuvres.
OBJECTIVE
A systematic estimation of the effects of some clinically important artefact provoking and artefact-preventing manoeuvres.


METHODS
A test protocol for the evaluation of technical modifications of continuous ECG recordings was tested in 17 patients. The programme comprised ECG recordings during five artefact-provoking manoeuvres (slight shaking of the ECG cables, rotating shoulders, slight electrode touching, washing, teeth-brushing) and two simple artefact-preventing manoeuvres (taping ECG cables and covering electrodes with paper cups).


RESULTS
The artefact-provoking manoeuvres induced a substantial increase in artefactual ECG. The artefact-preventing manoeuvres only incompletely prevented this increase.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a great need of technical improvements to reduce the distortion of ECG by artefacts. The test protocol developed by us exposes a broad spectrum of different categories of ECG qualities and is therefore suitable for evaluating technical improvements concerning artefactual ECG.
Lönnblad
Jens
J
Department of Electronics, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden. jens.lonnblad@mdh.se
Nilsson
Göran
G
Folke
Mia
M
Hök
Bertil
B
Lindén
Maria
M
Bäcklund
Ylva
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016477:Artifacts; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged