Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Patients with Heart Failure : Cardiovascular Topics

ABSTRACT

Background: The morbidity and mortality from heart failure (HF) differ between patients with reduced ( 50) and with preserved ( 50) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on account of many factors; including abnormalities detected in the electrocardiogram (ECG). The aim of this study was to determine and compare the ECG abnormalities between HF patients with reduced and with preserved LVEF. Methods: The study was cross-sectional in design and carried out in Aminu Kano teaching hospital and Murtala Mohammed specialist hospital; Kano; Nigeria; from April 2005 to June 2006. We studied the resting electrocardiograms of all HF patients aged 15 years and older who were referred to the two centres for echocardiography. Results: A total of 113 patients were studied and 98.2of them had abnormal ECGs. Forty-two patients (37.2) had preserved LVEF while the remaining 71 (62.8) had reduced LVEF. Left ventricular hypertrophy ( LVH) was the commonest ECG abnormality; found among 55 patients (77.5) with reduced LVEF; and 21 patients (50) with preserved LVEF (p = 0.0026). The commonest arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation; found among 10 patients (14.1) with reduced LVEF and eight patients (19.1) with preserved LVEF (p = 0.486). Prolonged corrected QT interval was found among 30 (71.4) and 56 patients (78.9) with preserved and reduced LVEF; respectively (p = 0.370). Conclusion: Most of the patients with heart failure studied in Kano; Nigeria had abnormal electrocardiograms; and the most common abnormality was LVH