Electrocardiographic changes in pulmonary collapse therapy. I

Abstract In practically any group of patients, individuals are commonly seen whose history, symptoms, or clinical findings suggest the necessity of an electrocardiogram as an aid in diagnosis. Certainly we have found this to be true among tuberculous patients in a sanatorium. In such an institution many of these individuals will have been subjected to collapse therapy, and in these persons it may be difficult to determine which of the electrocardiographic changes seen are due to myocardial involvement and which are due to collapse therapy. In an attempt to clarify this problem, we have made an electrocardiographic study of a group of patients undergoing collapse therapy. This report deals with our findings in artificial pneumothorax.