Myocardial performance of disabled patients in a rehabilitation program

Thirty-two patients with heart disease in addition to another disability were monitored continuously with the ten-hour electrocardiographic (ECG) tape. Eighteen of the 32 patients manifested abnormalities of rate, rhythm or ST-segment depression. Patients with arrhythmia eventually did better than those with other ECG abnormalities because drug therapy was successful in abolishing the abnormal rhythm in most cases. Those patients with excessive tachycardia did poorly as a group in so far as their rehabilitation program was concerned. This technique of continuous ECG monitoring may be helpful in assessing myocardial performance in these patients and in defining the prescription for rehabilitation therapy.