AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION ARRHYTHMIA DATABASE: A PROGRESS REPORT.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is developing an electrocardiographic database for evaluation of ventricular arrhythmia detectors. This project was initiated on 30 September 1977 by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and is funded as a two-year sole source contract. This report summarizes progress made in this project. Arrhythmia experts at many different institutions participate in the development of this database. This is done so that no single investigator or institution will have a disproportionate influence on the database. Half-hour strips (the last thirty minutes) of accepted tapes have been generated and forwarded to the Committee of Annotating Electrocardiographers. Experience gained in annotation of these strips has been used to devise a protocol for annotation. This report includes performance data on all phases of contract operation as well as a description of the final annotation protocol.