High resolution electrocardiography

Over the past decade, significant advances were made in the research, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Such progress was in every sphere of cardiology that includes non-invasive, minimally invasive, and invasive technologies. Interpretive electrocardiography, cardiac pacemakers, cardiac stents, and angioplasty are some areas where the progress has been significant. Non-invasive methods of diagnosis of cardiac disorders involve digital recording of cardiac signals at the body surface (chest) and subsequent computerized analysis. Such methods and instruments provide a vital first step to the diagnosis of the heart without involving surgical procedures. One such non-invasive field is High Resolution Electrocardiography (HRECG). A high-resolution electrocardiogram detects very low amplitude signals in the ventricles called 'Late Potentials' in patients with abnormal heart conditions. A standard electrocardiogram cannot detect these signals. The presence of late potentials is widely accepted to have prognostic significance in patients after Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) High Resolution Electrocardiography enhances the diagnostic capabilities of ECGs. This article describes the principles involved in HRECG and the techniques that are employed to derive such superior diagnostic capabilities. The use of these techniques may lead to more discoveries in the causes of cardiac disorders and improved drug discoveries to combat such conditions.