The accuracy of electrocardiographic Q waves for the detection of prior myocardial infarction as assessed by a novel standard of reference.

Background: The electrocardiogram (ECG) is valuable for the identification of prior myocardial infarction (MI) in individuals participating in epidemiologic studies or undergoing screening examinations. Although the Minnesota Code, a set of criteria for the interpretation of ECGs in such situations, is commonly used to identify MI in these settings, its accuracy is incompletely understood.

Hypothesis: We sought to test the accuracy of the Minnesota Code Q and QS criteria for MI against a new standard of reference, the presence of a perfusion defect on a resting myocardial scintigraphic image.