ISSN:
1542-474X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background: The prolongation of atrial conduction time and the inhomogeneous propagation of sinus impulses are well known electrophysiological characteristics in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.Methods: The aim of this study was to test the ability of a new ECG marker to discriminate between patients with a prior history of paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation and healthy controls. Maximum P wave duration (Pmax) and the difference between the maximum and the minimum P wave duration, which was defined as P-wave dispersion (Pdisp) were calculated from the 12-lead surface ECGs of 75 patients with a history of paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation and 50 age-matched healthy controls.Results: Pmax was in patients 122 ± 17 ms and in controls 101 ± 10 ms (t = 7.935, P 〉 0.001). Pdisp was in patients 48 ± 16 ms and in controls 29 ± 8 ms (t = 7.616, P 〉 0.001). A Pmax value of 110 ms separated patients from controls with a sensitivity 85%, a specificity 72%, and a positive predictive accuracy of 82%. A Pdisp value of 40 ms separated patients from controls with a sensitivity of 81%, a specificity of 80%, and a positive predictive accuracy of 85%.Conclusions: (1) Pmax and Pdisp values were found to be significantly higher in patients with a prior history of paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation than in age-matched healthy controls, and (2) Pdisp is a new simple ECG marker that could be possibly used for the identification of patients with a previous history of paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation. A.N.E. 1999;4(1):39–45
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-474X.1999.tb00363.x
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