[Electrocardiographic modifications in candidates for medical examinations]

17 medicine undergraduates sitting their final examinations underwent continous ECG recording during a period of 3 h. Their usual heart rate was 71 +/- 9 per minute, accelerating to 149 +/- 13, most often at the moment of entering the examination room. This reaction was usual in all candidates despite their knowledge that the failure rate at the exams is always very low; all of this group likewise passed. Two subjects exhibited marked alterations in the terminal phase compatible with myocardial ischemia. In 6 cases severe sinus rhythm variations evidenced an unstable balance of the vagal and adrenergic stimulations. No other arrhythmias, augmentation in the number of premature beats or atrio-ventricular blockade were observed. Analysis of the results shows that the heart response to psychic aggression differs from that to physical effort.