Bedside recordings of His-bundle electrograms using conventional twelve-lead surface electrocardiography

Area of Science:

• Electrophysiology
• Cardiology
• Medical Instrumentation

Background:

• His-bundle electrograms (HBEs) are crucial for diagnosing cardiac conduction abnormalities.
• Traditional HBE recording requires specialized high-fidelity amplifiers and filters.
• This specialized equipment can be costly and less accessible in some clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if His-bundle electrograms can be reliably recorded using a standard 12-lead surface electrocardiograph.
• To compare the efficacy of conventional electrocardiography with specialized systems for HBE recording.
• To assess the feasibility of simplifying HBE acquisition.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 33 patients undergoing electrophysiologic studies.
• His-bundle electrograms were recorded simultaneously using both a conventional 12-lead ECG and specialized equipment.
• The bipolar catheter used for HBEs was connected to the right and left arm leads of the surface ECG.

Main Results:

• His-bundle electrograms were successfully recorded in all 33 patients using both techniques.
• No significant differences were observed in the measurements obtained between the conventional ECG and specialized methods.
• The conventional electrocardiograph provided comparable recording quality to specialized systems.

Conclusions:

• His-bundle electrograms can be reliably obtained using a standard 12-lead surface electrocardiograph.
• Sophisticated and costly recording systems are not essential for accurate HBE acquisition.
• This finding simplifies the procedure and increases the accessibility of His-bundle electrography.