Alterations of surface electrocardiogram in 35 patients during upper fiberendoscopy.

Abstract

Thirty-five patients with gastric complaints were analysed by continuous cardiac monitoring during routine upper fiberendoscopy (UFE); 15 of them showed previous electrocardiographic alterations. New alterations occurred in 8 patients during fiberendoscopy, all of them with previous changes of the electrocardiographic pattern: all these were slight and transient. Atrial and ventricular premature beats (more frequent and persistent in women), complete bundle branch block, atrial fibrillation, and ischemic T wave were detected, the latter in only one male patient. Generally the ECG alterations appear when the fiberscope passed the medium third of the esophagus and the cardia. The changes observed on withdrawal of the optic apparatus were irrelevant. Tachycardia was, as a rule, more frequent and persistent in women. Candidates to UFE shouid be previousiy submitted, at ieast, to screening standard ECG.