Electrocardiographic changes in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities in subjects with spontaneous pneumothorax. Forty consecutive patients (mean age 43.7 +/-19.1 years) with spontaneous pneumothorax participated in the study. There were 22 cases of left-sided and 18 cases of right-sided pneumothorax. The mean relative volume of pneumothorax was 51.4 +/-24.7% according to the Light's index and 53.5 +/-22.9% according to the Rhea method. Heart rate was significantly higher in patients with pneumothorax than after lung re-expansion (91 +/-20 bpm vs. 72 +/-16 bpm; P<0.001). Abnormal left axis deviation was found in 3 patients with left-sided and in 1 with right-sided pneumothorax, while abnormal right axis deviation was found in 2 patients with left-sided pneumothorax. Relevant QRS abnormalities (incomplete RBBB and T-wave inversion) were found in 4 patients (10%). QRS amplitude in V2-V6 leads was significantly decreased in left-sided pneumothorax, while the right-sided pneumothorax was associated with an increase in QRS amplitude in V5-V6. We conclude that ECG in subjects with pneumothorax often reveals significant abnormalities. The most significant abnormalities were seen in patients with massive right-sided pneumothorax.