BACKGROUND
In anaesthesiology, time domain parameters of the ECG are frequently used for long QT diagnosis, determination of branch blocks and for identifying atrioventricular blocks. However, this analysis depends on several factors and therefore the time domain parameters are prone to variability.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the variability of expert assessments of ECG time domain parameters in daily clinical practice.
DESIGN
In an observational study 18 physicians labelled the onset, peak and end of the waves (P-QRS-T) for 26 preselected, distinctive beats. Based on this, clinically important durations and intervals were derived: the duration of the P wave, T wave and QRS complex, as well as the length of the PQ and QT interval. These parameters were subsequently analysed with respect to inter-expert variability (for all experts and discipline-based subgroups) and, additionally, were compared with computer-aided analysis.
RESULTS
The resulting wave durations (Pdur, QRSdur and Tdur) and intervals (PQ and QT) showed high variability, for instance, captured by the Q2/Q98 span ranging from 39 to 99 ms.
CONCLUSION
The observed, inter-investigator variability of assessing the PQ and QT intervals, as well as the wave durations, might result in important variance regarding ECG-associated diagnoses. Whether these variances play a major role in typical clinical situations would have to be demonstrated with further clinical observational studies.
KEY POINTS
- ECG wave durations and intervals have been used as nonspecific screening tools and are therefore an important cornerstone in diagnostic decision making.
- ECG wave boundaries are frequently difficult to determine, affecting the reliability of the derived parameters.
- We quantified the variability of clinically relevant time domain parameters.
- The observed variability of ECG time domain parameter assessments is generally rather high and might influence the treatment path of patients as well as the performance measures of computer-aided ECG delineation.
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