Accuracy of the precordial V-quick® patch in persons with cardiac or pulmonary disease

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the equivalence of 12-Lead Electrocardiograms (EKG) obtained with the new V-Quick(R) patch and traditional tab-style electrodes. Using a within-subject design, a convenience sample of 100 subjects with either cardiac or pulmonary disease underwent two 12-lead EKGs, one with the traditional tab-style electrodes and one with the precordial patch. Computer-generated measurements of waveform axes and amplitude were obtained for both EKGs. Comparison of mean and 95% confidence intervals revealed no significant differences in Q, R or S wave amplitude across the six precordial leads. Furthermore, a four-factor ANOVA found no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the Q, R and S wave amplitude between the type of electrode, gender and type of disease. A subset of 29 EKGs read by three experts found intra- (.90) and inter-rater (.84) reliability to be strong. In conclusion, the precordial V-Quick(R) patch provided equivalent EKGs to those obtained using standard tab-style electrodes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc.