Interpretation of arrhythmogenic effects of COVID-19 disease through ECG

• Published in: The aging male Vol. 23; no. 5; p. 1362
• Main Authors: Öztürk, Fatih, Karaduman, Medeni, Çoldur, Rabia, İncecik, Şaban, Güneş, Yılmaz, Tuncer, Mustafa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-12-2020
• Subjects: Arrhythmias, Cardiac - diagnosis; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - epidemiology; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology; Correlation of Data; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - drug therapy; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - therapy; Electrocardiography - methods; Electrocardiography - statistics & numerical data; Female; Heart Rate - drug effects; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Long QT Syndrome - chemically induced; Long QT Syndrome - diagnosis; Long QT Syndrome - virology; Male; Middle Aged; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Tachycardia, Ventricular - etiology; Tachycardia, Ventricular - physiopathology; Tachycardia, Ventricular - prevention & control; Troponin - analysis; Turkey - epidemiology; Turkey; COVID-19; Malignant arrhythmia; ECG; QT prolongation
• ISSN: 1473-0790
• DOI: 10.1080/13685538.2020.1769058

We aimed to detect the malignant arrhythmic potential of COVID-19 with surface electrocardiographic (ECG) markers.
Of the ECG parameters PR, QT, QTc, QTd, TPe, and Tpe/QTc were measured in 51 COVID-19 patients and 40 in control subjects.
Compared to control group mean QTc (410.8 ± 24.3 msec vs. 394.6 ± 20.3 msec,
 < .001) and Tpe/QTc (0.19 ± 0.02 vs. 0.18 ± 0.04,
= .036) and median QTd (47.52 vs. 46.5) values were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients. Troponin levels were significantly correlated with heart rate (
 = 0.387,
 = .006) but not with ECG parameters.
Several ventricular arrhythmia surface ECG predictors including QTc, QTd, and Tpe/QTc are increased in COVID-19 patients. Since medications used in COVID-19 patients have the potential to affect these parameters, giving importance to these ECG markers may have a significant contribution in decreasing disease-related arrhythmias.