On Deriving the Electrocardiogram from Vectorcardiographic Leads

The issue of whether a traditional or scientifically based system for applying electrodes to the body for routine electrocardiography may be resolved by deriving the 12‐lead ECG from the Frank XYZ signals. The result, the ECGD, is sufficiently close to the ECG for serial comparisons to be. valid. Reducing data acquisition to the XYZ signals alone has several technical advantages. These have been realized with the introduction of a computer system employing the ECGD at a large general hospital. Plotting the lead vectors of the ECG Don Aitofrs projection of the sphere brings out important relationships between the leads, one to another, and to the spatial directions of the QRS and T vectors. Reversing the polarity of aVR enhances the sequential relationship between the limb leads; this is taken advantage of in an educational display generated by the computer.