Effects of coronary occlusion on cardiac and body surface PQRST isoarea maps of dogs with abnormal activation simulating left bundle branch block.

The possibility of detecting myocardial infarction in the presence of left bundle branch block by analysis of cardiac and body surface PQRST isoarea maps was studied in nine open-chest and six closed-chest dogs. Recordings were taken during supraventricular drive or right atrial plus right ventricular pacing in control periods and at intervals for up to 10 hr after left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Right ventricular pacing was used to simulate left bundle branch block. Myocardial infarction was documented with triphenyl tetrazolium staining. The PQRST areas during supraventricular drive and right atrial plus right ventricular pacing were highly correlated to each other both before and after coronary occlusion. The PQRST isoarea maps after coronary occlusion showed a strong pole overlying the ischemic area on the cardiac surface in open-chest animals and over the left anterior thorax in closed-chest animals. The PQRST pole was positive during the first 1 to 2 hr of occlusion and became negative after several hours. The findings demonstrate that localized abnormalities due to ischemia and infarction are manifest in body and cardiac surface PQRST isoarea maps of both supraventricular complexes and right ventricular paced complexes. The findings suggest that PQRST isoarea maps may aid in identification and localization of ischemic or infarcted myocardium in the setting of abnormal activation such as left bundle branch block.