Electrocardiograms in rheumatic heart disease in children

Analysis of the electrocardiographic findings in ninety-seven cases of rheumatic heart disease revealed the following: (1) 86 per cent of cases: S and Q waves of the cross type present; (2) 33 per cent of cases: lengthened P-R interval; (3) 32 per cent of cases: T 2 and, to a lesser extent, T 1 waves large; (4) 24 per cent of cases: displacement of S-T segment; (5) 6 per cent of cases: diphasic or inverted T 1 or T 2 wave present; (6) four times as many mitral as aortic lesions were found; 10 per cent of cases showed combined lesions; (7) Q and S waves were more sensitive than axis deviation in determining right or left-sided heart strain; (8) the importance of noting Q and S waves is emphasized by the fact that they occur in the cross combinations three times more frequently in children with rheumatic heart disease than in normal children or even in a group of possible or potential rheumatic heart disease cases.