Common standards for quantitative electrocardiography: goals and main results. CSE Working Party.

Computer processing of electrocardiograms (ECGs) has over the last 15 years increased rapidly. Still, there are at present no standards for computer ECG interpretation. Different techniques are used not only for measurement and interpretation, but also for transmission and storage of data. In order to fill these gaps, a large international project, sponsored by the European Commission, was launched in 1980 to develop "Common Standards for Quantitative Electrocardiography (CSE)". The main objective of the first CSE study was to reduce the wide variation in wave measurements currently obtained by ECG computer programs. The second study was started in 1985 and aimed at the assessment and improvement of diagnostic classification of ECG interpretation programs. To this end reference libraries of well documented ECGs have been developed and comprehensive reviewing schemes devised for the visual and computer analysis of ECGs. This task was performed by a board of cardiologists in a Delphi review process, and by 9 VCG and 10 standard 12-lead programs developed by university research groups and by industry. A third action was started in June 1989 to harmonize acquisition, encoding, interchange and storing of digital ECG data. The action thus performed have become internationally recognized milestones for the standardization of quantitative electrocardiography.