Rapid technological advances portend further improvements in equipment in the near future. These guidelines focus on the use of AECG to aid clinical decision making. Thus, emphasis will be placed on the most common clinical uses of the technique. Evaluation of the clinical utility of a diagnostic test is more difficult than assessing the efficacy of a therapeutic intervention because diagnostic tests do not usually have the same direct impact on patient outcomes 2 . The accuracy of the technique as compared with other diagnostic procedures The effect of positive or negative results on subsequent clinical decision making The influence of the technique on health-related outcomes.
Tables appear in each section that summarize the recommendations for that particular application.
The Committee reviewed and compiled pertinent published reports by computerized and hand searches, excluding abstracts, and the recommendations made are based on these reports. Data tables are presented where multiple reports are available, but formal meta-analyses were not performed because of the nature of the available data and cost constraints. When few or no data existed, this is identified in the text, and recommendations are based on committee consensus. A complete list of the multiple publications on AECG is beyond the scope of this communication, and only selected references are included, emphasizing new data since 1989. Finally, although cost considerations are important, there were insufficient data to present formal cost-effectiveness analyses.