Use of the Body Surface Recovery Time for Detection of Coronary Artery Disease

We explored the relationship between body surface recovery time (RT), the interval between the QRS onset and the time of maximum derivative in the T-wave on a 16 precordial lead system electrocardiogram (ECG), and monophasic action potential (MAP) duration of the left ventricular endocardium in 9 patients in whom electrophysiologic testing was indicated. The usefulness of RT measurement on body surface ECG for the detection of coronary artery disease was evaluated in 98 patients who had chest pain. The RT located in the right clavicular or upper sternal area showed a very high positive correlation (r= 0.91, p < 0.001) with MAP duration from the left ventricular endocardium and showed specific shortening in patients with one-vessel disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery. With a criterion of the RT located in the right clavicular or upper sternal area corrected by Bazett's formula < 380 msec 1/2 , a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 80% were achieved for detection of one-vessel disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery.