Premium
THE “Q” WAVE AND HIGH CHEST LEADS : AN ANALYSIS OF 425 CASES
Author(s) -
FREEMAN ZELMAN
Publication year - 1960
Publication title -
australasian annals of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0571-9283
DOI - 10.1111/imj.1960.9.2.144
Subject(s) - medicine , intercostal space , sternum , right ventricular hypertrophy , anatomy , cardiology , position (finance) , pulmonary artery , finance , economics
Summary Normal Q waves indistinguishable from abnormal Q waves may be recorded from leads on the chest wall. They differ only in site, but not in form or duration. The mechanism of production of Q waves is discussed, and the findings at two fixed points on the upper part of the anterior chest wall are analysed in 425 cases. It is clear that the normal Q zone rarely extends to the second intercostal space above the V 2 position, or the middle of the sternum at the level of the third intercostal space. Only two instances of Q waves were seen at this level in 149 normal subjects. In none of 32 cases of posterior infarction were Q waves found in these leads, whereas in 85% of cases of recent anterior infarction Q waves are found at these sites. The presence of a Q wave in these leads is highly unlikely to be normal if bundle branch block, ventricular hypertrophy, gross clock‐wise rotation and right ventricular dilatation are excluded.