Comparative accuracy of computerized spatial vectorcardiography and standard electrocardiography for detection of myocardial infarction

Abstract

New computerized spatial vectorcardiographic variables were analyzed by discriminant analyses for group classification of 94 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 79 normal subjects. Using the integral of the sequential magnitudes of the spatial vectors during the period of initial abnormal depolarization (IAD) of the QRS at a discriminating value of 3 mv X msec., 87% of the subjects were correctly classified with a sensitivity of 85%; specificity of 88%; and an overall predictive accuracy of 87%, p less than .00001. The period of initial abnormal depolarization in which the vectors were integrated was determined by the first derivative of the sequential magnitudes of the spatial vectors of the QRS waveform (dm/dt). The mean value of dm/dt during the period of abnormal depolarization was a poor discriminating variable. The predictive accuracy of this new electrocardiographic criterion for diagnosis of myocardial infarction compared favorably with other computerized methods such as vectorcardiography, polarcardiography, Aitoff spatial trajectory, the 12-lead ECG derived by the Frank XYZ leads as well as the standard 12-lead ECG.