Artefacts in continuous ECG recordings--provoking and preventing manoeuvres

OBJECTIVES: A systematic estimation of the effects of some clinically important artefact provoking and artefact-preventing manoeuvres. DESIGN: A test protocol for the evaluation of technical modifications of continuous ECG recordings was tested in 17 patients. The programme comprised ECG recordings during five artefact-provoking manoeuvres (slight shaking of the ECG cables, rotating shoulders, slight electrode touching, washing, teeth-brushing) and two simple artefact-preventing manoeuvres (taping ECG cables and covering electrodes with paper cups). RESULTS: The artefact-provoking manoeuvres induced a substantial increase in artefactual ECG. The artefact-preventing manoeuvres only incompletely prevented this increase. CONCLUSION: There is a great need of technical improvements to reduce the distortion of ECG by artefacts. The test protocol developed by us exposes a broad spectrum of different categories of ECG qualities and is therefore suitable for evaluating technical improvements concerning artefactual ECG.