Influence of Saline, Papaverine, Nitroglycerin and Ethyl Alcohol on Electrocardiographic Response to Standard Exercise in Coronary Disease

Abstract

Much disagreement exists regarding the value of vasodilator agents in the treatment of coronary disease. Opinions have largely been based upon observations of pharmacologic action of drugs in animals, uncontrolled clinical studies and analyses of a purely subjective index, that of pain, in patients with angina pectoris. A technic was devised, therefore, to study the modifying action of various drugs upon the electrocardiographic response to standard exercise. To have validity, the procedure could be carried out only in a patient showing constant electrocardiographic changes with each performance of the standard test. The present communication records the findings in such a patient who was studied in this manner.