Keywords: Electrocardiogram (ECG), Heart failure, Cardiac resynchronization therapy, Intensive care monitoring
 

"Exploring QRS area to improve cardiac resynchronization therapy & intensive care monitoring"

This thesis explores the potential of the non-conventional, more advanced ECG-marker QRS area to improve the electrical treatment of heart failure via a special pacemaker by cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and to improve intensive care monitoring. CRT decision making is currently driven by guidelines that are based on conventional ECG-markers. QRS area is therefore compared to conventional ECG-markers. In a novel finding and in addition to its stronger diagnostic value, QRS area, in contrast to conventional ECG-markers,  can be used effectively to improve CRT by navigating the pacemaker wire to the best site on the heart. Inclusion of QRS area in international guidelines for CRT-decision making would therefore lead to better treatment of heart failure patients. Also in a novel finding, QRS area, in contrast to conventional ECG-markers, could detect life-threatening heart muscle injury in patients on the intensive care unit. It is therefore warranted that additional QRS area calculating software is installed on ECG-machines in hospitals.

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