| Literature DB >> 30561260 |
Alexander C Egbe1, William R Miranda1, Nandini Mehra2, Naser M Ammash1, Venkata R Missula1, Malini Madhavan1, Abhishek J Deshmukh1, Mohamed Farouk Abdelsamid1, Srikanth Kothapalli1, Heidi M Connolly1.
Abstract
Background Patients with tetralogy of Fallot ( TOF ) remain at risk for cardiovascular events despite successful repair. Some of the current risk stratification tools require advanced imaging and invasive studies, and hence are difficult to apply to routine patient care. A recent study showed that QRS fragmentation ( QRS -f) is predictive of mortality in patients with TOF. The current study aims to validate this result by assessing whether severity of QRS -f could predict all-cause mortality in a different TOF population. Methods and Results The authors reviewed the Mayo Adult Congenital Heart Disease database for patients with TOF who had ECG from 1990-2017. QRS -f was defined as notches in QRS complex in ≥2 contiguous leads on ECG , not related to bundle branch block, and classified as none, mild (≤3 leads), moderate (4 leads), or severe (≥5 leads). Of 465 patients (age 37±14 years) in the study, QRS -f was present in 161 (35%): mild (n=43, 9%), moderate (n=77, 17%), and severe (n=41, 9%). There were 55 deaths (12%) during 13.6±8.2 years of follow-up. Severity of QRS -f remained an independent predictor of all-cause mortality after adjustment for other ECG parameters, patient demographics, and atrial and ventricular arrhythmia (hazard ratio, 1.74 per class; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.93 [ P=0.041]). Conclusions The presence of severe QRS -f may be used as complementary data to the usual clinical indices to determine whether interventions such as invasive electrophysiology study should be performed in patients with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia or to proceed with pulmonary valve replacement in patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation with ventricular volumes below the guideline-directed threshold for intervention.Entities:
Keywords: QRS fragmentation; electrocardiography; mortality; risk stratification; tetralogy of Fallot
Mesh:
Year: 2018 PMID: 30561260 PMCID: PMC6405623 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.118.010274
Source DB: PubMed Journal: J Am Heart Assoc ISSN: 2047-9980 Impact factor: 5.501
Figure 1Top, Right bundle branch block with QRS fragmentation. The arrows are pointing at the third R‐wave/notch. Bottom, Right bundle branch block without QRS fragmentation.
Baseline Characteristics
| All (N=465) | Alive (n=410) | Dead (n=55) |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at the beginning of study, y | 37±14 | 35±13 | 47±15 | <0.001 |
| Men, No. (%) | 223 (48) | 186 (45) | 37 (67) | 0.004 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 27±6 | 27±6 | 28±6 | 0.168 |
| Body surface area, m2 | 1.9±0.3 | 1.8±0.2 | 1.9±0.2 | 0.475 |
| Age at TOF repair, y | 5 (3–10) | 5 (2–8) | 14 (5–34) | <0.001 |
| Prior palliative shunt, No. (%) | 181 (39) | 148 (37) | 33 (60) | 0.004 |
| Comorbidities, No. (%) | ||||
| Atrial fibrillation | 118 (25) | 82 (20) | 36 (55) | <0.001 |
| Atrial flutter/tachycardia | 100 (22) | 79 (19) | 21 (38) | 0.002 |
| Hypertension | 125 (27) | 102 (25) | 23 (42) | 0.004 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 193 (42) | 162 (40) | 31 (56) | 0.060 |
| Coronary artery disease | 57 (12) | 38 (9) | 19 (35) | 0.011 |
| Current or prior smoker | 93 (20) | 77 (18) | 18 (32) | 0.064 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 72 (16) | 59 (15) | 13 (23) | 0.117 |
| Sleep apnea | 130 (28) | 109 (27) | 21 (38) | 0.155 |
| Prior stroke | 41 (9) | 33 (8) | 8 (15) | 0.943 |
| NYHA class III/IV | 73 (16) | 59 (15) | 14 (25) | 0.002 |
| Down syndrome | 9 (2) | 8 (2.0) | 1 (1.8) | 0.914 |
| 22q11 deletion | 7 (1.5) | 6 (1.5) | 1 (1.8) | 0.943 |
| Laboratory tests | ||||
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 14.1±2.5 | 14.0±2.6 | 13.4±2.1 | 0.018 |
| Creatinine, mg/dL | 1.0±0.3 | 0.9±0.2 | 1.3±0.5 | <0.001 |
| NT‐proBNP, pg/mL | 255 (123–720) | 223 (112–813) | 313 (146–481) | 0.348 |
| Medications, No. (%) | ||||
| Diuretics | 84 (18) | 63 (15) | 21 (38) | <0.001 |
| β‐Blockers | 106 (23) | 76 (19) | 30 (54) | <0.001 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 59 (13) | 39 (10) | 20 (36) | <0.001 |
| RAAS antagonist | 87 (19) | 68 (17) | 19 (34) | 0.002 |
| Warfarin | 41 (9) | 29 (7) | 12 (21) | 0.001 |
| Direct oral anticoagulants | 3 (0.7) | 2 (0.5) | 1 (0.7) | 0.330 |
| Aspirin | 116 (25) | 97 (24) | 19 (33) | 0.118 |
Values are expressed as mean±SD or median (interquartile range) unless otherwise indicated. NT‐proBNP indicates N‐terminal pro b‐type natriuretic peptide; NYHA, New York Heart Association; RAAS, renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system; TOF, tetralogy of Fallot.
Hemodynamic Data
| Echocardiography | All (N=465) | Alive (n=410) | Dead (n=55) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≥Moderate RV enlargement, No. (%) | 318 (68) | 278 (68) | 40 (72) | 0.887 |
| ≥Moderate RV systolic dysfunction, No. (%) | 137 (30) | 113 (28) | 24 (43) | 0.025 |
| ≥Moderate tricuspid regurgitation, No. (%) | 92 (20) | 75 (18) | 17 (31) | 0.042 |
| Tricuspid regurgitation velocity, m/s | 3.1±0.7 | 3.1±0.7 | 3.2±0.8 | 0.786 |
| Pulmonary valve peak velocity, m/s | 2.5±0.9 | 2.5±0.9 | 2.5±1.0 | 0.218 |
| TAPSE, cm | 18±4 | 18±4 | 18±3 | 0.793 |
| FAC, % | 40±10 | 39±6 | 33±11 | 0.048 |
| RV S′, cm/s | 10±2 | 11±8 | 9±3 | 0.210 |
| Medial E/e′ | 10±4 | 10±3 | 10±4 | 0.788 |
| Lateral E/e′ | 7±3 | 10±3 | 10±4 | 0.788 |
| LV ejection fraction, % | 58±8 | 58±8 | 54±10 | 0.020 |
| Moderate LV dysfunction (<40%), No. (%) | 62 (13) | 50 (12) | 12 (22) | 0.031 |
| Magnetic resonance imaging (n=157) | ||||
| RVEDV index, mL/m2 | 140±48 | 142±47 | 150±78 | 0.808 |
| RVESV index, mL/m2 | 80±37 | 81±37 | 89±49 | 0.693 |
| RV ejection fraction, % | 44±10 | 44±10 | 36±10 | 0.101 |
| Catheterization (n=148) | ||||
| Right atrial pressure, mm Hg | 11±6 | 10±5 | 16±7 | <0.001 |
| RVEDP, mm Hg | 14±5 | 13±5 | 19±7 | 0.004 |
| Mean PA pressure, mm Hg | 24±9 | 23±8 | 30±11 | 0.005 |
| LVEDP, mm Hg | 16±5 | 15±5 | 21±7 | 0.003 |
| Mean arterial pressure, mm Hg | 88±13 | 89±13 | 83±14 | 0.103 |
| Cardiac index, L/min×m2 | 2.3±0.6 | 2.3±0.7 | 2.1±0.4 | 0.072 |
| PVR index (WU×m2) | 4.5±3.0 | 4.3±3.1 | 5.3±2.4 | 0.129 |
| Cardiopulmonary exercise test (n=177) | ||||
| Peak VO2, mL/kg per min | 22±7 | 22±7 | 22±8 | 0.995 |
| Peak VO2, % predicted | 63±17 | 63±16 | 64±23 | 0.956 |
| VE/VCO2 nadir | 28±4 | 28±4 | 30±4 | 0.377 |
Values are expressed as mean±SD unless otherwise indicated.
FAC indicates fractional area change; LV, left ventricular; LVEDP, left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure; PA, pulmonary artery; PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance; RV, right ventricular; RVEDP, right ventricular end‐diastolic pressure; RVEDV, right ventricular end‐diastolic volume; RVESV, right ventricular end‐systolic volume; TAPSE, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion; VE/VCO2, ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide; VO2, oxygen consumption; WU×m2, Wood units times meters squared.
*Quantitative assessment.
Figure 2Kaplan–Meier curves comparing survival between patients without QRS fragmentation (QRS‐f) (dark blue), mild QRS‐f (red), moderate QRS‐f (light blue), and severe QRS‐f (green).
Incrementally Adjusted Risk for All‐Cause Mortality
| HR (95% CI) |
| |
|---|---|---|
| Model 1 | 2.72 (2.11–3.56) | <0.001 |
| Model 2 | 2.67 (2.06–3.64) | <0.001 |
| Model 3 | 2.22 (1.68–2.97) | 0.014 |
| Model 4 | 1.74 (1.08–2.93) | 0.041 |
Model 1: unadjusted all‐cause mortality risk based on the extent of QRS fragmentation (QRS‐f). Model 2: includes all variables in model 1 plus adjustment for the following ECG parameters: QRS duration, JT interval, and rhythm (sinus, paced rhythm, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter/tachycardia). Model 3: includes all variables in model 2 plus adjustment for patient demographic characteristics (current age, sex, age at the time of tetralogy of Fallot [TOF] repair and type of TOF repair [transannular patch vs nontransannular patch]). Model 4: includes all variables in model 3 plus adjustment for history of sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or defibrillator implantation, moderate right ventricular dysfunction by qualitative assessment, and left ventricular ejection fraction <40%. Hazard ratio (HR) is expressed per incremental risk per class/extent of QRS‐f (none, mild, moderate, severe).