title: Automatic detection of ECG cable interchange by analyzing both morphology and interlead relations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ECG cable interchange can generate erroneous diagnoses. For algorithms detecting ECG cable interchange, high specificity is required to maintain a low total false positive rate because the prevalence of interchange is low. In this study, we propose and evaluate an improved algorithm for automatic detection and classification of ECG cable interchange.
  
  
  METHODS
  The algorithm was developed by using both ECG morphology information and redundancy information. ECG morphology features included QRS-T and P-wave amplitude, frontal axis and clockwise vector loop rotation. The redundancy features were derived based on the EASI™ lead system transformation. The classification was implemented using linear support vector machine. The development database came from multiple sources including both normal subjects and cardiac patients. An independent database was used to test the algorithm performance. Common cable interchanges were simulated by swapping either limb cables or precordial cables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the whole validation database, the overall sensitivity and specificity for detecting precordial cable interchange were 56.5% and 99.9%, and the sensitivity and specificity for detecting limb cable interchange (excluding left arm-left leg interchange) were 93.8% and 99.9%. Defining precordial cable interchange or limb cable interchange as a single positive event, the total false positive rate was 0.7%. When the algorithm was designed for higher sensitivity, the sensitivity for detecting precordial cable interchange increased to 74.6% and the total false positive rate increased to 2.7%, while the sensitivity for detecting limb cable interchange was maintained at 93.8%. The low total false positive rate was maintained at 0.6% for the more abnormal subset of the validation database including only hypertrophy and infarction patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed algorithm can detect and classify ECG cable interchanges with high specificity and low total false positive rate, at the cost of decreased sensitivity for certain precordial cable interchanges. The algorithm could also be configured for higher sensitivity for different applications where a lower specificity can be tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Algorithm Research Center, Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA, USA. Electronic address: chengzong.han@philips.com.
authors.forename: Chengzong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Advanced Algorithm Research Center, Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gregg
authors.affiliation: Advanced Algorithm Research Center, Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Dirk Q
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Feild
authors.affiliation: Advanced Algorithm Research Center, Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babaeizadeh
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D006801:Humans; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Algorithm; Cable interchange; Classification; Electrocardiograph; Lead system