Physically corrected orthogonal electrocardiographic lead systems in macaques and baboons.

The adequacy of various physically corrected electrocardiographic lead systems for lower primates was compared with the aid of physical models of the cardiac electrical field. Electrolytic tanks fashioned from plaster casts of the thorax of young adult male and female macaques and baboons were used. A dipole source situated at different points in the heart region simulated the electrical activity of the heart. Statistical evaluation and reciprocal comparison of the resultant parameters showed that the proposed modification of the McFee-Parungao lead system for macaques and baboons was most satisfactory, followed by the human variant of the same lead system and then by the variant for dogs. The greatest variability was displayed by parameters determined from measurements made with Frank's lead system, which was ranked last in the evaluation.