Resting electrocardiography changes in patients with severe beta thalassemia and chronic iron overload

ABSTRACT

21 patients with thalassemia major on long term transfusion-chelation therapy and 10 age-matched controls were examined to study the effect of age of the patient, hemoglobin and serum ferritin level, and transfusion load on the resting electocardiographic [ECG] changes in those patients. Results showed that all patients were in sinus rhythm [100%]. 3 patients [14%] had first degree AV block, and 2 patients [9%] had abnormally long QTc interval. Thalassemia children generally had longer QTc interval than controls [p <0.02] which was related to the hemoglobin level [p <0.02]. More leftward QRS axis was related to a large end diastolic volume index [p <0.04] and a high serum ferritin level [p <0.02]. The age of patients and the transfusion did not correlate with any of the ECG parameters. It is concluded that ECG data are insensitive as early markers of cardiac dysfunction in patients with beta-thalassemia