Electrocardiographic changes in ex-prisoners of war released from detention camps

The aim of the study was to determine whether and to what extent changes in the electrocardiograms occurred in released prisoners of war (POWs) from S erbian detention camps and whether the frequency of occurrence differed fro m similar changes in a control group. An electrocardiogram was recorded and medical examinations conducted on 182 randomly selected ex-POWs. The subje cts were male with a mean age of 35.8 +/- 11.0 years, age range 18-65 years and the average length of imprisonment 163.5 +/- 87.1 days. The electrocar diograms were analysed according to the Minnesota c (o) over cap de. The fo llowing changes were frequently found: postinfarction Q-wave in 3.3%. contr ol 1.1% (not significant), ST-segment depression horizontal or descendent i n 14.3% (controls 3.8%, P < 0.01), particularly S-T segment depression of u p to 0.5 mm in 12.1% (controls 2.2%, (P < 0.01), total negative T-wave in 7 .1%, (control group 3.3%, not significant), total arrhythmia 18.1% (control s 7.1%, P < 0.01), particularly ventricular premature beats in 2.2% (contro ls 0.5%, not significant), incomplete left bundle-branch block 2.2% (not re gistered in the control group), complete left bundle-branch block in 0.5% ( not registered in the control group), sinus tachycardia in 12.1% (controls 6.6%, not significant), sinus bradycardia 3.3% (not registered in the contr ol group) and microvoltage QRS complex in 11.5% (controls 0.5%, P < 0.001). The results of this study confirm that changes in the electrocardiograms o f the POWs released from Serbian detention camps were far more frequent tha n in the controls.