Electrocardiography Progress

Author: Guo Jihong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: On June 10, 1903, Willem Einthoven recorded a clear electrocardiogram (ECG) using a string galvanometer, marking exactly one hundred years since then. Like X-ray examination technology, the ECG has endured for a century without fading, making significant contributions to human health and life. There are many reasons for the enduring popularity of the ECG, as many cardiovascular diseases rely on or primarily depend on it for diagnosis, such as the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome, myocardial infarction, and various complex arrhythmias. Moreover, the clinical advancements in cardiology have continuously expanded and improved the diagnostic capabilities of the ECG. For example, with the progress of echocardiography, the role of the ECG in diagnosing apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has become increasingly important. The introduction of the Brugada syndrome has drawn attention to and alertness to the characteristic ECG manifestations of this condition in right chest leads.
The emergence of clinical cardiac electrophysiology in the 1970s injected new vitality into the ECG, which had previously been in a plateau phase. Using cardiac electrophysiology techniques, many cardiac phenomena could be replicated, various pseudosupernormal conduction phenomena such as ECG slits could be identified, concealed supraventricular tachycardia could be recognized, and new insights into the ECG features of different levels of atrioventricular block were gained. The clinical diagnosis of Lev's disease gradually became possible.
In the 1980s, radiofrequency ablation emerged, leading to the of more and more arrhythmias. This greatly stimulated doctors' interest in researching arrhythmia ECGs. Like the pathological anatomy of the ECG, it serves as a means to examine and verify the truth of ECG diagnoses. The diagnostic ability of the ECG for atrioventricular nodal dual pathways improved, and the ability to locate preexcitation pathways was enhanced. The ECG characteristics of left ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia were proposed, and so on. These factors have continuously added vitality to ECG, keeping it youthful.
It should be noted that the ECG in the new century also faces significant challenges. Pacing ECGs are a mixture of intrinsic rhythm and paced rhythm, making the increasingly complex pacing functions of the ECG more obscure and challenging for pacing specialists. General clinical and ECG physicians are also confused and bewildered. How to address this challenge and find solutions is currently being explored and experimented with.
The clinical application of new ECG machines (computers) has different filter parameters compared to traditional ECG machines, which will result in differences in ECG waveforms and other aspects. How to adapt to the new ECG and whether existing normal values need to be updated are also severe challenges. How to address and resolve this issue requires careful consideration.
Opportunities and challenges coexist, and this is a common issue faced by all living things, including the ECG. Publishing the book "Advances in ECG" is part of the activities commemorating the centennial of ECG clinical application, and its content carries both commemorative and academic significance. To enhance the readability of the book, additional related content has been included. This book is the collective effort and wisdom of all the authors, a joint gift from dozens of experts to the arrival of the new century in ECG. The chief editor and editorial committee have only played a minor role in designing and organizing the manuscript.
For cardiovascular clinical workers, this book holds high academic and collectible value. It focuses on new technologies and developments in the field of contemporary ECG, reviews the history of ECG, introduces clinical applications of ECG, research on arrhythmia ECGs, and the progress of ECG in foreign countries.