Correlation of the complete version of the Selvester QRS scoring system with quantitative anatomic findings for multiple left ventricular myocardial infarcts.

The correlation between myocardial infarct size estimated by the complete version of the Selvester QRS scoring system and that documented by pathoanatomic studies has been reported for single anterior, inferior and posterolateral infarcts. Although previous studies described electrocardiographic changes in patients with multiple infarcts, no quantitative documentation of the ability of such changes to estimate the total amount of left ventricular infarction has been reported. This study of 32 patients with anatomically documented multiple infarcts shows a significant correlation between QRS-estimated and anatomically documented sizes (r = 0.44; p = 0.01), which is less than that previously reported for single infarcts in the anterior, inferior and posterolateral locations. Several of the 54 electrocardiographic criteria were never satisfied. Criteria for posterior infarction were seldom present, suggesting "cancellation effect" of coexisting anterior infarction. These results will be the basis for future modification of QRS criteria for estimating myocardial infarct size.