[Orthogonal ECG and a statistical system for computer diagnosis with ECG in chronic obstructive pneumopathy]

In 92 patients affected from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (C.O.P.) undergoing spirometric evaluation, the ability of the Pipberger computer program for electrocardiographic interpretation to predict the presence of pulmonary disease with or without right ventricular hipertrophy was compared with that of the manually measured conventional and orthogonal (Frank system) electrocardiogram. The patients were classified as having mild, moderate and severe C.O.P. on the basis of spirometric data. Each system predicted the presence of C.O.P. with low sensitivity. P voltage in D2 greater than or equal to 2 mm (27,1%) and R/S voltage ratio in V5-V6 greater than or equal to 1 (22,8%) were the single conventional criteria more frequently satisfied. Results for 3 lead manual readings were only slightly lower: recognition rate of the R/S voltage ration in x lead less than or equal to 1,3 was 15,7%. The Pipberger program probabilistic answers were divided in "completely" and "partially" correct. Combined completely or partially correct diagnoses were made by the program 14,3% of patients with mild C.O.P., 17,2% of moderate and 48,8% of severe C.O.P. These results suggests that the Pipberger program has at least similar ability to predict C.O.P. compared with the 12 lead and orthogonal manually measured electrocardiogram.