Quantitative assessment of left ventricular function after myocardial infarction using the minnesota Q-QS codes for resting electrocardiograms.

The electrocardiogram as a quantitative predictor of left ventricular systolic function was investigated in subjects with one myocardial infarction. The first 509 consecutive subjects to enter the Program of Surgical Control of Hyperlipidemia were studied by selective left ventriculography. Electrocardiograms taken during a prior hospitalization of the subjects for acute myocardial infarction were classified according to the Minnesota Q-QS codes. This study showed that the lower (ie, the more significant) Q-QS codes were highly correlated with reduced left ventricular function as measured both by a lower ejection fraction and by a greater number of left ventricular segments showing abnormal systolic motion. In addition, the location of segmental wall motion abnormalities correlated with the electrocardiographic site of the Q-QS code.