[Electrocardiographic examinations after orthotopic heart transplantation]

The electrocardiographic examinations of 220 post orthotopic heart transplant patients have shown: A marked left axis deviation (LA hemiblock) was seen in 15.9% of the patients and a marked right axis deviation in 6.8%. During the postoperative observation of the progress a change of the marked axis type became visible in 14.2% of the marked left axis type of the patients. 21.8% of the patients showed a pronounced (= complete) right bundle branch block pattern (QRS-duration > or = 0.12 s), 90% of them a pronounced (= complete) bundle branch block pattern of the Wilson type. 15.9% of the patients showed a moderate (= incomplete) right bundle branch block pattern (QRS-duration > 0.1 < 0.12 s). Pronounced (= complete) or moderate (= incomplete) right bundle branch block pattern was noticed in 71.7% of the patients during the first 14 days postoperative. In 96.6% of the patients the right bundle branch block pattern remained constant. A progress course could be observed very rarely. A right ventricular dysfunction is a possible cause.