RESUMO
Eighty patients with coronary insufficiency, with or without infarction, were studied by kinetocardiography and electrocardiography before and after the infusion of dopamine (40 patients) or isoproterenol (40 patients). Twenty healthy subjects for dopamine and 20 for isoproterenol served as controls. The basal ECG has a moderate (52.5%) sensitivity and a high (92.5%) specificity. KCG-25 has a poor (19,7%) sensitivity and a high (95%) specificity. KCG-45 has a high (76.2%) sensitivity and a moderate (50%) specificity, 25/40 healthy subjects had at least one pathological finding: either the ECG or the KCG-25 or the KCG-45. The mechanisms and the relevance of the false positives of the KCG are reviewed. In spite of different pharmacological properties, there is no statistical difference in the effect of dopamine and isoproterenol on the ECG and KCG. The KCG may be considered equivalent to the ECG, taking into account that it brings different information. The infusion of dopamine or isoproterenol induces dyskinesia in some patients with coronary insufficiency. Only two statistically significant changes were observed: dopamine increases the sensitivity of KCG-25 (up to 44.4%) and the specificity of KCG-45 (up to 95%). In selected cases the infusion of dopamine may be a useful test.