[Detection of heart rhythm disorders by ECG autotransmission via telephone]

The method of patient's own telephone transmission of his or her ECG was used for the diagnosis of arrhythmias in 70 patients with a history of heart rhythm disorders. Various arrhythmias were diagnosed, using this method, in 91.4% of the patients. Repeated conventional ECG recordings detected arrhythmias in 54.3% of the patients only over the entire hospital stay time. A comparison of ECG telephone autotransmission and intermittent ECG tape-recording by the Cardiocassette device showed identical rhythm disorders in 91.3% of the cases, while bicycle ergometry proved less informative for the diagnosis of arrhythmias as compared to ECG telephone transmission. The latter method may be useful in monitoring patients with heart rhythm disorders, particularly at the outpatient stage of treatment. It allows antiarrhythmic therapy to be administered as soon as arrhythmia is detected which is an advantage over ECG tape-recording.