Rol de la morfología y dispersión de la onda P en la predicción de fibrilación auricular

RESUMEN Las características anisotrópicas ocasionadas por un miocardio auricular patológico pueden jugar un papel importante en la creación de circuitos de reentrada al causar propagación no homogénea y discontinua del impulso en el miocardio auricular. Este miocardio auricular alterado puede generar bloqueo unidireccional, retraso de la conducción y ritmos auriculares reentrantes. En estas condiciones la onda P del electrocardiograma (ECG) puede mostrar alteraciones que pueden asociarse con arritmias auriculares y fibrilación auricular (FA). La dispersión de la onda P (DP) se considera un marcador no invasivo del ECG para el remodelado auricular y es predictor sensible y específico del desarrollo de FA. Se ha demostrado que el aumento de la duración de la onda P y la DP reflejan la prolongación del tiempo de conducción auricular dentro de la aurícula derecha y entre ambas aurículas, y una propagación auricular no homogénea y discontinua de los impulsos sinusales. Un valor de corte de 40 ms de la DP demostró tener una sensibilidad del 83%, una especificidad del 85% y un valor predictivo positivo del 89% para la identificación de pacientes con antecedentes de FA paroxística aislada. Los pacientes con alteración de la morfología de la onda P y dispersión de la onda P en el ECG tienen una gran susceptibilidad a desarrollar FA porque poseen electrogramas endocárdicos auriculares anormalmente prolongados y fraccionados, una duración de onda P significativamente mayor, un tiempo de conducción intraauricular e interauricular significativamente más largo, y una mayor incidencia de inducción de fibrilación auricular sostenida.

ABSTRACT The anisotropic characteristics caused by a pathological atrial myocardium can play an important role in the creation of reentry circuits by causing discontinuous and inhomogeneous impulse propagation in the atrial myocardium. This altered atrial myocardium can lead to unidirectional block, conduction delay, and reentrant atrial rhythms. Under these conditions, the P wave of the electrocardiogram (ECG) can demonstrate alterations that can be associated with atrial arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation (AF). The P-wave dispersion (PD) is considered a non-invasive ECG marker for atrial remodeling and is a sensitive and specific predictor of the development of AF. Increased P wave duration and PD have been shown to reflect prolonged atrial conduction time within the right atrium and between both atria, and discontinuous, inhomogeneous atrial propagation of sinus impulses. A cutoff value of 40 ms for PD was shown to have a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 85%, and a positive predictive value of 89% for the identification of patients with a history of isolated paroxysmal AF. Patients with abnormal P wave morphology and P wave dispersion on the ECG are highly susceptible to developing AF because they have abnormally prolonged and fractionated atrial endocardial electrograms, significantly longer P wave duration, and significantly longer intra-atrial and inter-atrial conduction time, and a higher incidence of sustained atrial fibrillation induction.

Duración de la onda P en las 12 derivaciones del electrocardiograma y su relación con el tiempo de conducción interauricular en pacientes con taquicardias paroxísticas supraventriculares / P wave duration in the 12 leads of the electrocardiogram and its relationship with interatrial conduction time in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias

RESUMEN Introducción: Existen algunos estudios que relacionan parámetros de la onda P con diferentes tiempos de conducción auricular, pero no se han realizado teniendo en cuenta a cada derivación del electrocardiograma. Objetivo: Determinar la duración de la onda P (Pdur) en las 12 derivaciones y relacionarlas con el tiempo de conducción interauricular. Método: Estudio de corte transversal en 153 pacientes adultos con diagnóstico confirmado de taquicardia por reentrada intranodal (TRIN) o vías accesorias mediante estudio electrofisiológico invasivo. Resultados: Al comparar la Pdur entre sustratos arrítmicos por cada derivación, no existieron diferencias significativas, excepto en V6. En las derivaciones DII, DIII, aVR, aVF, V1 y de V3-V6 la Pdur se correlacionó con el tiempo de conducción interauricular en ambos sustratos arrítmicos. En el análisis multivariado, la Pdur constituyó un predictor independiente de tiempos de conducción interauricular ≥ 95 percentil, en las derivaciones de cara inferior y en V3, V5 y V6. Se observaron altos valores del área bajo la curva de la Característica Operativa del Receptor en las derivaciones DII (0,950; p<0,001), DIII (0,850; p<0,001) y V5 (0,891; p<0,001). Conclusiones: No existen diferencias por derivación en la Pdur al comparar casos con TRIN y vías accesorias, excepto en V6. La mayoría de las derivaciones se correlacionaron con el tiempo de conducción interauricular. La Pdur fue un predictor independiente de tiempos de conducción interauricular ≥ 95 percentil. La derivación DII presenta la mayor capacidad discriminativa para encontrar valores prolongados del tiempo de conducción interauricular.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Although some studies relate P wave parameters to different atrial conduction times, they do not consider each electrocardiogram lead separately. Objective: To determine the duration of P wave (Pdur) in the 12 leads of the electrocardiogram and relate it to the interatrial conduction time. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 153 adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) or accessory pathways by invasive electrophysiological study. Results: When comparing the Pdur between arrhythmic substrates by each lead, no significant differences were found, except for V6. In leads II, III, aVR, aVF, V1 and V3-V6, Pdur was correlated with the interatrial conduction time in both arrhythmic substrates. In our multivariate analysis, the Pdur was an independent predictor of interatrial conduction times ≥ 95 percentile in inferior wall leads and in V3, V5 and V6. High values of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were observed in II (0.950; p<0.001), III (0.850; p<0.001) and V5 (0.891; p<0.001) leads. Conclusions: The Pdur showed no difference by leads when comparing cases with AVNRT and accessory pathways, except for V6. Most of the leads were correlated with the interatrial conduction time; Pdur was an independent predictor of interatrial conduction times ≥ 95 percentile. Lead II has the greatest discriminatory ability to find prolonged values of interatrial conduction time.

Avaliação da atividade elétrica atrial em pacientes submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico da valvopatia mitral

INTRODUCTION: The selection of the surgical approach to the mitral valve is a critical factor in obtaining good exposure and minimizing lesions of the surrounding structures. The classical right lateral subseptal access may sometimes provide difficult exposure, so that alternative approaches are used whose effects on atrial electrical activity are contradictory. OBJECTIVE:To standardize an investigative method to evaluate heart electrical activity post-op. METHODS: Ten consecutive adult patients with mitral valve disease were operated on. Surface electrocardiogram and continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (Holter system) pre and post-op., and epicardical cardioestimulation post-op. were used to study cardiac electric activity. RESULTS: There was no mortality. All patients with sinus rhythm presented supraventricular ectopia, with episodes of supraventricular tachycardia in 57%, atrial flutter in 10%, and junctional rhythm in 10%. All patients presented ventricular ectopia, with a low incidence in 70% of them and with unsustained ventricular tachycardia in 30%. During the postoperative period there was a 40% rate of new supraventricular arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, junctional rhythm, low atrial rhythm, and paroxistic supraventricular tachycardia), with no ventricular arrhythmias. Post-op. sinus node function was preserved. There was a significant reduction of supraventricular ectopia, with reversal of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm in one patient. Although there was a significant reduction in left atrium size post-op, P wave duration, as well as ventricular ectopia rate remained unchanged. Interatrial conduction time correlated with left atrium size measured pre and post-op. CONCLUSION: The methods proved useful to evaluate atrial electric activity in patients operated upon by the classic subseptal access, thus permitting future comparisons with other surgical approaches to the mitral valve.

INTRODUÇÃO: O acesso cirúrgico por esternotomia mediana e atriotomia subseptal clássica pode, em certos casos, resultar em má exposição da valva mitral. Incisões atriais alternativas otimizam a exposição da valva mitral mas podem interferir na atividade elétrica atrial pós-operatória. OBJETIVO: Padronizar método para investigar a atividade elétrica atrial para emprego em estudos comparativos de diferentes atriotomias em cardiopatas sumetidos à cirurgia cardíaca. MÉTODOS: Análise com eletrocardiograma convencional e de 24 h (sistema Holter), pré e pós-operatória, e cardioestimulação epicárdica pós-operatória pelo método de Narula, em 10 pacientes submetidos à correção de valvopatias mitrais. RESULTADOS: No pré-op., os pacientes em ritmo sinusal apresentaram ectopias supraventriculares, com episódios de taquicardia supraventricular em 57% dos casos, "flutter" atrial em 10% e ritmo juncional em 10%. Todos apresentaram ectopias ventriculares, de baixa incidência em 70% dos casos, e taquicardia ventricular não sustentada foi detectada em 30% dos pacientes. No pós-operatório, houve 40% de novas arritmias supraventriculares (fibrilação atrial, ritmo juncional, ritmo atrial baixo e taquicardia supraventricular paroxística), mas não ocorreram arritmias ventriculares. No pós-op. a função do nó sinusal não se alterou, ocorreu redução significativa das ectopias supraventriculares, com reversão de FA para ritmo sinusal em 1 paciente, mas não houve redução significativa das ectopias ventriculares. O tempo de condução inter-atrial correlacionou-se com o tamanho do átrio esquerdo. CONCLUSÃO: A metodologia mostrou-se adequada e segura, e poderá ser empregada na comparação de diferentes incisões atriais para exposição valvar mitral.