RT Book, Section A1 Engblom, Henrik A1 Strauss, David G. A2 Pahlm, Olle A2 Wagner, Galen S. SR Print(0) ID 8761826 T1 Chapter 7. Electrocardiography of Ischemic Heart Disease T2 Multimodal Cardiovascular Imaging: Principles and Clinical Applications YR 2011 FD 2011 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-161346-0 LK accesscardiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=8761826 RD 2024/10/14 AB The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is still the most frequently used diagnostic method in patients with suspected ischemic heart disease (IHD). Practically all patients presenting at the emergency room with chest pain have an ECG recorded to exclude or confirm unstable IHD and ongoing myocardial ischemia. In many regions, ECG is recorded in ambulances on patients with typical or atypical chest pain, dizziness, fainting, irregular heartbeat, and other clinical symptoms or signs. Furthermore, inducible ECG changes found during an exercise or pharmacologic stress test are frequently used to diagnose significant coronary artery stenosis in the situation of stable IHD. The frequent use of ECG as a diagnostic method in suspected IHD worldwide is due to several factors. First, the ECG provides a unique perspective of the condition of the myocardium by exploring its electrical activity, which is not depicted by other imaging modalities of the heart. Second, it is an inexpensive examination that is not associated with any risk for the patient, and it can be performed within a few minutes. Third, the technique is widely available, even in the developing parts of the world. Finally, the medical community has a long experience with the method because it has been around for more than 100 years.