ABSTRACT
Background: Different electrocardiographic (ECG) results, seen in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are most likely due to the combined impact of acute COVID-19 and chronic heart disease. Few studies have addressed the effects of hypoxemia, the hallmark of the pandemic disease, on ECG. Objective(s): The present study discusses the prevalence of arrhythmias and disorders of conduction system in demised and survived COVID-19 patients, using ECG and Sokolow-Lyon voltage as a sign of hypoxemia to predict mortality in the admitted patients and after discharge. Method(s): We investigated the ECG, and other medical data of 960 COVID-19 patients admitted to Faghihi hospital in Shiraz, Iran, from August 2021 to December 2021. Result(s): Most of the patients were male (541 or 56.4%) and older than 65 years old (462 or 48.1%). A total of 475 (49.5%) patients died. Multiple logistic regression revealed an independent association between the COVID-19 death rate and cardiovascular disease (OR = 3.05;95% CI: 1.96-4.74), QT dispersion more than 40 (OR = 5.08;95% CI: 3.61-7.15), heart rate (more than 100 versus less than 60 OR = 2.86;95% CI: 1.03-7.9), ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (OR = 3.93;95% CI: 2.63-5.86), poor progression (OR = 2.33;95% CI: 1.56-3.49), hypertrophy (OR = 1.97;95% CI: 1.02-3.81), and Sokolow-Lyon (OR = 2.91;95% CI: 1.64-5.16). Conclusion(s): Electrocardiographic examination of COVID-19 patients is important during admission and after discharge. Sokolow-Lyon voltage less than 10 can be regarded as an independent predictor of mortality in COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital. Copyright © 2022, Author(s).