ABSENT INITIAL Q WAVE: COULD IT BE A PREDICTOR OF PROXIMAL LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING CORONARY ARTERY LESION?

Authors

DEPT OF CARDIOLOGY, IMAM REZA HOSPITAL, EBNE SINA STREET, MASHHAD UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, MASHHAD, IRAN

Abstract

Background- This study was performed to determine whether absence of initial septal q waves in ECG leads correlates with significant (more than 50%) stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery.
Methods- One hundred seventy patients who were referred to the catheterization department for coronary angiography were chosen randomly. All the cases had a standard twelve-lead ECG before angiography. According to their ECG, they were divided into two groups: group A: 69 cases who did not have septal q wave and group B: 101 cases who had q waves.
Results- Forty-one patients in group A and 14 patients in group B had significant lesions in the proximal LAD (P value 0.001 and 0.05). Statistical analysis showed that in group A, significant lesion in the proximal LAD could be predicted with 51.9% sensitivity and 62.2% specificity.
Conclusion- Absence of a normal q wave in the ECG of patients selected for coronary angiography could be a reliable predictor of a significant lesion in the proximal LAD coronary artery.

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