Characteristics of synthesized right-sided chest electrocardiograms in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND

The significance of right-sided chest lead electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is unclear. This study evaluated the characteristics of such abnormalities in APE patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study included consecutive patients who were diagnosed with APE by contrast-enhanced computed tomography or pulmonary artery angiography. A standard 12-lead ECG and a synthesized right-sided chest ECG were obtained from these patients. Waveform differences were noted between the acute and post-treatment phases.

RESULTS

In total, 56 APE patients (18 men and 38 women, mean age 66.7±13.3 years) were included. Traditional ECG findings, such as right-axis deviation, the S1Q3T3 pattern, and clockwise rotation, were found in relatively few patients (14.3%, 32.1%, and 21.4%, respectively). In some cases, a negative T wave in standard 12-lead ECGs was observed in leads III, V1, and V2 (46.4%, 60.7%, and 39.9%, respectively). Syn-V3R ECG showed a higher frequency of negative T waves (66.1%) at the onset and significantly (p<0.01) decreased at the follow-up. Multiple logistic regression analyses for differentiating APE revealed that the negative T waves only in lead syn-V3R were significantly related (odds ratio: 6.95, 95% confidence interval: 2.50-19.32, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of a negative T wave in a synthesized right-sided chest ECG, particularly in the V3R lead, is a new and distinctive finding denoting pulmonary embolism. To confirm the utility of this characteristic using synthesized right-sided chest ECGs for the diagnosis of APE, further studies with larger populations will be required.