BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence of cardiac injury in COVID-19. Our purpose was to assess the prognostic value of serial electrocardiograms in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We evaluated 269 consecutive patients admitted to our center with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. ECGs available at admission and after 1 week from hospitalization were assessed. We evaluated the correlation between ECGs findings and major adverse events (MAE) as the composite of intra-hospital all-cause mortality or need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Abnormal ECGs were defined if primary ST-T segment alterations, left ventricular hypertrophy, tachy or bradyarrhythmias and any new AV, bundle blocks or significant morphology alterations (e.g., new Q pathological waves) were present. RESULTS: Abnormal ECG at admission (106/216) and elevated baseline troponin values were more common in patients who developed MAE (p = .04 and p = .02, respectively). Concerning ECGs recorded after 7 days (159), abnormal findings were reported in 53.5% of patients and they were more frequent in those with MAE (p = .001). Among abnormal ECGs, ischemic alterations and left ventricular hypertrophy were significantly associated with a higher MAE rate. The multivariable analysis showed that the presence of abnormal ECG at 7 days of hospitalization was an independent predictor of MAE (HR 3.2; 95% CI 1.2-8.7; p = .02). Furthermore, patients with abnormal ECG at 7 days more often required transfer to the intensive care unit (p = .01) or renal replacement therapy (p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 should receive ECG at admission but also during their hospital stay. Indeed, electrocardiographic alterations during hospitalization are associated with MAE and infection severity.
BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence of cardiac injury in COVID-19. Our purpose was to assess the prognostic value of serial electrocardiograms in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We evaluated 269 consecutive patients admitted to our center with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. ECGs available at admission and after 1 week from hospitalization were assessed. We evaluated the correlation between ECGs findings and major adverse events (MAE) as the composite of intra-hospital all-cause mortality or need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Abnormal ECGs were defined if primary ST-T segment alterations, left ventricular hypertrophy, tachy or bradyarrhythmias and any new AV, bundle blocks or significant morphology alterations (e.g., new Q pathological waves) were present. RESULTS: Abnormal ECG at admission (106/216) and elevated baseline troponin values were more common in patients who developed MAE (p = .04 and p = .02, respectively). Concerning ECGs recorded after 7 days (159), abnormal findings were reported in 53.5% of patients and they were more frequent in those with MAE (p = .001). Among abnormal ECGs, ischemic alterations and left ventricular hypertrophy were significantly associated with a higher MAE rate. The multivariable analysis showed that the presence of abnormal ECG at 7 days of hospitalization was an independent predictor of MAE (HR 3.2; 95% CI 1.2-8.7; p = .02). Furthermore, patients with abnormal ECG at 7 days more often required transfer to the intensive care unit (p = .01) or renal replacement therapy (p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 should receive ECG at admission but also during their hospital stay. Indeed, electrocardiographic alterations during hospitalization are associated with MAE and infection severity.
Authors: Mohammad Madjid; Allison T Connolly; Yelena Nabutovsky; Payam Safavi-Naeini; Mehdi Razavi; Charles C Miller Journal: Am J Cardiol Date: 2019-04-10 Impact factor: 2.778
Authors: Borja Ibanez; Stefan James; Stefan Agewall; Manuel J Antunes; Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci; Héctor Bueno; Alida L P Caforio; Filippo Crea; John A Goudevenos; Sigrun Halvorsen; Gerhard Hindricks; Adnan Kastrati; Mattie J Lenzen; Eva Prescott; Marco Roffi; Marco Valgimigli; Christoph Varenhorst; Pascal Vranckx; Petr Widimský Journal: Eur Heart J Date: 2018-01-07 Impact factor: 29.983
Authors: Moussa Saleh; James Gabriels; David Chang; Beom Soo Kim; Amtul Mansoor; Eitezaz Mahmood; Parth Makker; Haisam Ismail; Bruce Goldner; Jonathan Willner; Stuart Beldner; Raman Mitra; Roy John; Jason Chinitz; Nicholas Skipitaris; Stavros Mountantonakis; Laurence M Epstein Journal: Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol Date: 2020-04-29
Authors: Nicholas J Mercuro; Christina F Yen; David J Shim; Timothy R Maher; Christopher M McCoy; Peter J Zimetbaum; Howard S Gold Journal: JAMA Cardiol Date: 2020-09-01 Impact factor: 14.676