Polycardiographic study of atrial flutter.

The modifications that atrial flutter determines on the phonocardiogram, apexcardiogram, carotid pulse tracing, jugular venous pulse tracing, and indirect (esophageal) left atrial pulse tracing were studied. On the basis of the data here presented and that of the literature, a polygraphic profile of atrial flutter has been constructed as follows: notable variability of the intensity and of the richness of the vibratory components of the first and second heart sound; regularly alternating intervals between successive atrial sounds, each one of which consists of two groups of vibrations; deformations of all mechanographic tracings corresponding with "F" waves of the ECG. The interpretation of various polygraphic reports contributes to the understanding of the physiopathogenesis of atrial flutter.