The electrocardiogram in healthy northwest Ethiopians

The normal values for ECG have not been fully investigated on Ethiopians. This cross sectional study was conducted in 1999/2000 to obtain baseline ECG information on normal healthy northwest Ethiopians and to find out whether normal ranges of ECG parameters in our population differ from those of Caucasians or other black Africans. A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram was done in 690 selected healthy northwest Ethiopians. They were 392 (56.8%) male and 298 (43.2%) female with a median age of 23 years. The systolic and diastolic blood pressures were within the normal range in all subjects. The total incidence of deviation from the accepted normal ECG was recorded in 393 (57.0%) subjects. This was found in 294 (75.0%) male and 99 (33.2%) female subjects. The most common type of "abnormalities" were high peaked T wave, 104 (26.5%), elevated S-T segment, 70 (17.8%), and elevated ST segment with high peaked T wave, 32 (10.9%) in male and negative or flat T wave, 35 (11.7%) in female. All types of variations were more pronounced in young subjects of both sexes and less common in those aged 40 years and above. The normal ECG variants found in Ethiopians were similar to those found in other subjects of black African origin. In conclusion, the normal variants identified in this study must be taken into consideration in the interpretation of ECG from cardiac patients which prevents this useful test from being understood wrongly.