Reviews Signal-Averaged Electrocardiography and Predicting Patients at High Risk for Sudden Death

Delayed and inhomogeneous depolarization is found in patients with ventricular tachycardia. This abnormal avtivity can be detected as Iate potentials or spectral turbulence by applying special signalaveraging techniques to the surface electrocardiogram. Late potenlials associate with an increased risk of sudden death and lethal ventricular tachyarrhmias after ML The information from a signal-averaged ECG is independent of other clinical factors, such as a depressed ventricular function, known to increase the risk of sudden death or VT after an acute ML A combination of noninvasive tests, including the signal-averaged ECG, can identify a high risk subset of patients following AMI for whom more intensive diagnostic and/or therapeutic measures are indicated. The signal-averaged ECG is also useful in detecting patients who are likely to have sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias induced with electrophysiological stimulation testing.