Diaphragmatic action potentials registered in the electrocardiogram: A clinical and experimental study

Maurice M. Aygen*, Mordechai Manoach, Uri A. Liberman, Uri Mintz, Hanna Savransky

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

P-wave-like deflections followed by high-frequency minute oscillations were observed in the ECG of a 58-year-old obese woman with fever and erysipelas of the left leg. The phenomenon was present in vertical leads and was most prominent in those recorded from the vicinity of the diaphragm. It disappeared when the signs of diffuse inflammation of the leg subsided and reappeared when the patient rebreathed into a plastic bag. It was reasoned that the abnormal ventilatory load imposed by her obesity and the increased metabolic demand of the infectious disease may have caused an augmented electrical activity of the diaphragm and the appearance of this activity on the surface leads. In cats, strong diaphragmatic action potentials, which were produced by phrenic nerve stimulation, caused the appearance of similar P-wave-like deflections in the vertical leads of the ECG.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)630-634
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Heart Journal
Volume83
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1972

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Diaphragmatic action potentials registered in the electrocardiogram: A clinical and experimental study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this