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Analysis of the P Wave in the Signal‐Averaged Electrocardiogram: Normal Values and Reproducibility
Author(s) -
HOFMANN MONIKA,
GOEDELMEINEN LISELOTTE,
BECKHOFF ANGELIKA,
REHBACH KATHRIN,
SCHÖMIG ALBERT
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1996.tb03255.x
Subject(s) - medicine , reproducibility , signal (programming language) , cardiology , statistics , mathematics , computer science , programming language
To apply p wave analysis of the signal‐averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) clinically, the knowledge of normal values and the verification of highly reproducible measurements are essential. In 40 healthy volunteers (ages 23 ‐37 years), an SAECG of the p wave was performed and then repeated after 1 week and 1 month. In addition to Simson analysis (unidirectional and bidirectional filters), the data were filtered with finite impulse response (FIR) and least squares fit (LSQ) filters to obtain a better differentiation between the end of the p wave and QRS onset. All recordings were evaluated by two independent observers, and the following parameters were calculated: the duration of the p wave in the three unfiltered leads; and for the vector magnitude of the three leads x, y, and z: the duration of the p wave and the root mean square voltage of its last 30, 20, and 10 ms. The average p wave duration was significantly different among the various filter techniques: 135 ± 7 ms (unidirectional); 97 ± 8 ms (bidirectional); 109 ± 8.5 ms (FIR); and 126 ± 10 ms (LSQ) (P = 0.001 for each comparison). There was a good reproducibility of the data analyzed with the Simson method (R = 0.80–0.91). Filtering with the FIR and LSQ leads to a considerably greater variability.