ECG Reporting in Children Attending Assiut University Children Hospital (Clinical Audit)

Abstract
Background: An Electrocardiogram (ECG) may be re-quested as part of the investigation of a wide range of problems in pediatrics, often in patients who have no clinical evidence of cardiac disease. Frequently the request is made by practi-tioners with no particular expertise in cardiology. The basic principles of interpretation of the ECG in children are identical to those in adults, but the progressive changes in anatomy and physiology which take place between birth and adolescence result in some features which differ significantly from the normal adult pattern and vary according to the age of the child. Correct interpretation of the ECG is therefore potentially difficult and a detailed knowledge of these age dependent changes is critically important if errors are to be avoided.
Aim of Study: Is to evaluation of ECG interpretation and reporting competence on children attending Assiut University Children Hospital. Patients and methods the study included 90 patients over one month of age admitted in different units of Assiut Children Hospital with different causes of admission for whom ECG was one of their investigation, data of the included patients having ECG was collected and analyzed against normal value of ECG. Values were expressed in terms of percentages.
Results: Shows that from 90 ECG report only 7 (7.7%) has even incomplete ECG reporting only heart rate, rhythm and axis were documented, the rest of data were absent. Where the other 83 cases (92%) ECG report had no documentation and were left empty.
Conclusion: Complete ECG reporting was not done in almost all patient. Only 7 (7.7%) had incomplete ECG report in the form of HR, rhythm and axis only. The rest of the ECG report were completely empty.