Improved qrs detection in pediatric stress test electrocardiograms

Accurate QRS complex detection during exercise stress testing continues to be a critically important and challenging task, especially for pediatric ECGs during the high exercise phase. As part of the computerized ECG analysis program used in commercial stress testing systems. the Intelligent Lead Switch algorithm was developed to select the optimal leads for QRS detection based upon signal quuliy. This algorithm was optimized to improve QRS detection pe$"ce for pediatric as well as adult ECGs. The perjormance of QRS detection was assessed using a database with 143 pediatric and 943 adult exercise stress test ECGs. The QRS detection and arrhythmia classijication results of the new version were compared with rhe results from the previous version. The number of QRS detection errors was reduced by 75 percent for the pediatric ECGs and by 23 percent for the adult ECGs.