The Electrocardiogram of the Normal and Hypertensive Rat

Abstract

Electrocardiograms of normal rats and those rendered hypertensive by potassium deficiency have been compared. The unipolar chest leads were found to be useful in the recognition of spurious patterns among normal animals as well as in evaluating the severity of the hypertension. Backward orientation of the spatial QRS vector in the horizontal phane was the single most consistent finding in the hypertensive animals.