interpreting an ECG

[wearingblue]

Hi,

Looking at my ECGs which were taken some years ago, it seems to me that I had been misinformed by my doctors back then about my heart condition. I can see for example the left anterior fascicular block (which my doctors had explicitly denied I had), and possibly some tell tale signs of left ventricular repolarization problems. The latter is another condition which my British doctors denied, but which was independently diagnosed by doctors abroad -- left ventricular diastolic relaxation abnormality (A=E).

It may be a long shot, but I wonder if there is anyone on this forum, to whom I could send pdfs of a few graphs, and who would be able to either confirm or deny the above conditions? The fascicular block in particular, should be possible to confirm (or rule out) beyond any doubt.

Wearingblue

[kenkeith]

All or almost all EKG require interpretation by a radiologist or if the technology a computer evaluation.  Regardless, the EKG report should be corroberated with other tests and relevant clinical signs.

What appears to be a medical problem based on your post is A=E and that relates to left ventricle filling time. For some insight the "E" and "A", the "E" is early filling and represents normally about 80% of the filling capacity.  And "A" is the amount of blood (20 percent) pumped from the upper chamber (atrium) into the left ventricle completing the filling phase. Therefore, the "E" component is greater than "A"...you report the A=E!

When the E/A ratio is abnormal that usually indicates the left ventricle's chamber does not relax sufficiently to accept a normal filling phase.  Almost always the problem is the left ventricle's walls are thickened causing regidity and impaired filling.

Left anterior fascicular block is a form of heart block in which one ventricle is excited before the other because of absence of conduction in one of the branches. The left and right chambers usually contract at the same time...if there is a dely it would be in micro seconds and does not present a problem.

However, conduction pathways for electrical impulses to move along the septum (wall separating the left and right chambers) and into each ventricle to contract (repolarize), and if the A=E representation of rigidity and enlargement of the heart walls that could cause obstruction to electrical impulses and  fascicular block .  To get a better evalulation of your left ventrical's filling capacity you should have an echocardiogram to measure heart wall dimensions and the strength of the left ventricles contractions to determine diastolic dysfunction.

Thanks for sharing, and if you have any further questions or comments, you are welcome to respond.  Take care,

Ken