Podcast 806: Normal ECGs

<p><strong>Contributor: Jarod Scott, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Physicians are typically advised not to trust computer interpretation of ECGs </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Retrospective study was done of computer interpreted normal ECGs to evaluate the accuracy of such an interpretation</span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">989 ECGs were interpreted as “Normal sinus rhythm, Normal ECG” by proprietary cardiology software on MUSE Cardiology Information System</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">These EKGs received follow up interpretation by cardiologists which was considered the “gold standard” for interpretation</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">18.6% of “normal ECG” had at least one abnormality identified by the cardiologist</span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">6.1% of these discrepant interpretations were deemed potentially clinically significant </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Only 1% were classified as possible ischemia</span></li> </ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">On retrospective chart review:</span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Six patients underwent non-emergent cardiac catheterization</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Two had cardiac interventions</span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="4"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">One had three PCI stents to a prior CABG graft</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="4"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">One had a sched