Electrocardiogram changes as predictors for new imaging findings in repeat transthoracic echocardiography.

To determine if electrocardiogram (EKG) findings may be a useful tool to predict changes in repeat transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). We evaluated patients who underwent TTE during hospitalization and their EKGs, and whether findings differed between studies. Of 229 hospitalized patients who underwent repeat TTE, 183 (80%) were abnormal. Each minor and major EKG abnormality resulted in a 1.8 (1.2 to 2.6; p = 0.002) and 2.1 (1.3 to 3.3; p < 0.001) increased odds of abnormal imaging on TTE, respectively. The negative likelihood ratio for an unchanged EKG to predict an unchanged TTE was 0.68 (95% CI = 0.62 to 0.73). Among hospitalized patients with prior imaging results, an unchanged EKG predicts an unchanged TTE.