METHODThe method employed in this study has been described in our previous report, which dealt with findings in therapeutic pneumothorax.l Because of the removal of the ribs which constituted the landmarks for the placement of the precordial electrode in the C4 and C5 positions, difficulty arose in taking tracings on patients with left thoracoplasty. In such patients, position C4R was determined, and this level was used in the placement of the electrode in the C4 and C5 positions on the left side. In patients with phrenic crush, diaphragmatic paralysis was verified fluoroscopically. All changes encountered in the postcollapse tracing were noted and tabulated, and are the basis for this report. A total of 35 cases was analyzed: 14 of left thoracoplasty, 9 of right thoracoplasty, 6 of left phrenemphraxis and 6 of right phrenemphraxis. These cases were consecutive and unselected.RESULTS AND DIscussIoN-A tabulation of the changes encountered in each case may be found in table 1. Figure 1 shows representative electrocardiograms from a patient undergoing each type of collapse procedure.Everyone experienced in collapse therapy of pulmonary tuberculosis knows how regularly pulmonary collapse procedures are followed by shifts in the position of the heart. Positional changes of the heart have long been known to cause electrocardiographic alterations.2 It is therefore to be expected that pulmonary collapse procedures will be followed by electrocardiographic changes. This work w-as undertaken for the purpose of studying these electrocardiographic changes in a group of patients and to try to determine whether the electrocardiographic changes would fall into any recognizable pattern which might be diagnostic of the particular collapse procedure and whether the changes were of a variety likely to be confused with those produced by myocardial disease.Other
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