A Clinical Appraisal of the Vectorcardiogram in Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Two-hundred six patients with myocardial infarction were studied with the Frank vectorcardiographic lead system and the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram in common use. Distinctive and statistically significant measurements separated these individuals from normal controls, similarly studied. Of 125 patients with convincing evidence of past myocardial infarction all showed abnormal vectorcardiograms. Only 76 of these presented electrocardiograms, diagnostic of infarction at the time of the diagnostic vectorcardiogram. Eleven (9.6 per cent) showed no evidence of infarction in their electrocardiographic tracings. The theory is held by some that modern vectorcardiography should be superior to conventional electrocardiography. The present observations in suspected myocardial infarction suggest that this method may yield confirmatory evidence in most cases, additional and complementary data in some, and decisive information not otherwise available, in a few.