Electrocardiogram in Asthmatic Children

THE electrocardiogram of presumably normal infants and children has been the subject of extensive investigation.''2 On the other hand, an extensive review of the litera-ture failed to reveal reports of the electrocar-diograms of infants and children suffering from pulmonary disease.'3 ' 14 Ziegler12 in 1951 recorded the electrocardio-grams of normal inifants and children ranging in age from birth to 16 years. Using only standard and unipolar extremity leads, he studied 250 children initially. Later complete electrocardiograms were taken oln 300 children with the 3 standard extremity leads, aug-mented unipolar leads, and 6 unipolar precor-dial leads. Electrocardiogranms of 137 children suffering from airway obstruction diagnosed as bronchial asthma are evaluated and com-pared with those of Ziegler's normal group. Methods and Materials A 13-lead electrocardiogram taken with a direct-writing instrument (General Electric Cardioseribe) was obtained on 137 asthmatic children in residence at the Jewish National Home for Asthmatie Chil-dren, Denver, Colorado. The patients had intract-able bronchial asthma, which had not responded well to medical management prior to removal from home. Patients with acute severe obstruction were not studied until their airway obstruction lessened. All electrocardiograms were recorded with the patient in the supine position. With the exception of the routine asthmatic regimeni, no other medica-tions were used. Ages of the patients ranged from 5 to 16 years. Table 1 shows the relationship be-tween age and sex, and duration of symptoms. The cardiac rate, duration of P wave, P-R in-terval, QRS complex, P-T interval, the amplitude of P waves, R waves, and S waves, and the time of onset of the intrinsicoid deflection were measured. The widest P wave, QRS complex, P-R interval, and Q-T interval were chosen for the measurement of the duration, as described by Ziegler. These fig-ures were then compared with Ziegler's publishe