POTENTIALITY OF ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY IN DIAGNOSING LEFT ATRIAL ENLARGEMENT AT ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Keywords: ECG criteria, sensitivity and specificity, left atrial atriomegaly, patients with arterial hypertension
Abstarct: The aim of the study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of ECG criteria in diagnosing the left atrial enlargement (LA) revealed by transthoracic echocardiography. Materials and methods. 40 patients with arterial hypertension (AH) of stages 1–2 underwent inpatient treatment at the Ivanovo Regional Hospital of War Veterans were examined: 25 patients at the average age 73,1 ± 1,6 with the left atrium volume index (LAVI) about 48,85 ± 2,37 ml/m 2 and 15 patients with LAVI of 24,87 ± 1,67 ml/m 2 at the age of 61,6 ±3,2 years. All the patients underwent a comparative analy- sis of ECG and ECHOCG parameters reflecting LP remodeling in addition to a general clinical examination. Results and discussion. 77,5 % of the examined patients had an increased length of the LP; an increase in the anterior-posterior LP size occurred in 47,5 %. Most often, the increase of both LAVI and LP length in30 ECG was associated with the duration of the P wave ≥ 0,12 sec (64,0 and 88,9 %), while the presence of the PV1 wave with a wide negative phase occurred both without LAVI and LP length growth. Conclusion. The duration of the P wave ≥ 0,12 sec appeared to be most sensitive; the RV1 wave with a wide negative phase was considered as the most specific sign of an increased both the volume of LP and its length.

BULLETIN
of the Ivanovo Medical Academy^{ISSN 1606-8157}