Does the electrocardiogram detect early acute heart rejection.

Changes in electrocardiographic parameters, particularly a reduction of the voltage of the QRS complex, have been held to indicate acute rejection of a transplanted heart. In a series of heterotopic heart recipients, changes in electrocardiographic parameters were correlated with histopathological evidence of acute rejection seen on endomyocardial biopsies obtained by the percutaneous transvenous technique. No statistically significant correlation was found between the electrocardiographic changes and the histopathological features. The electrocardiogram appears to be an unreliable predictor of early acute rejection in patients with heterotopic heart transplants.