Frontal QRS/T angle can predict mortality in COVID-19 patients.

AIMS: The frontal QRS-T (fQRS) angle has been investigated in the general population, including healthy people and patients with heart failure. The fQRS angle can predict mortality due to myocarditis, ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathies, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, and chronic heart failure in the general population. Moreover, no studies to date have investigated fQRS angle in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Thus, the purpose of this retrospective multicentre study was to evaluate the fQRS angle of COVID-19 patients to predict in-hospital mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation. METHODS AND RESULTS: An electrocardiogram was performed for 327 COVID-19 patients during admission, and the fQRS angle was calculated. Mechanical ventilation was needed in 119 patients; of them, 110 died in the hospital. The patients were divided into two groups according to an fQRs angle >90° versus an fQRS angle ≤90°. The percentages of mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation according to fQRS angle were 67.8% and 66.1%, respectively, in the fQRs >90° group and 26.1% and 29.9% in the fQRS ≤90°group. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, fQRS angle, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and C-reactive protein level were predictors of mortality on the multivariable analysis. The mortality risk increased 2.9-fold on the univariate analysis and 1.6-fold on the multivariate analysis for the fQRS >90° patient group versus the fQRS ≤90° group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, a wide fQRS angle >90° was a predictor of in-hospital mortality and associated with the need for mechanical ventilation among COVID-19 patients.

To Feed or Not to Feed? During Hemodialysis Session

Introduction: Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) like to eat during HD sessions. To prevent coronavirus infection, health authorities recommended restriction of taking food and fluids. In this multicenter retrospective chart review study, we aimed to confirm the relationship between oral intake and intradialytic complications using the date before and after the restriction in a relatively large HD population. Methods: Data of a total of 190 (47% female) patients with prevalent HD during the 3 months before and 3 months after the restriction of oral intake during HD session were collected. In patients who received HD three times a week, data on blood biochemicals and clinical parameters taken routinely at the first week of each month were recorded from the dialysis session files. Differences between the means for both periods were evaluated using the χ² test for categorical variables and Student's t-test for continuous variables;p<0.05 was considered significant between groups. Results: The mean age was 66±11.3 (23-91) years. Of the patients, 53% had diabetes mellitus, receiving HD treatment for 65.6±55.7 months. Rates of intradialytic hypotension (IDH) and muscle cramps decreased significantly (0.075% vs 0.043%, p<0.001;0.016% vs 0.008%, p<0.05, respectively), whereas no changes in the hypoglycemia rate were noted. Conclusion: IDH and muscle cramps mostly attributed to splanchnic vasodilation-related digestion may be prevented by restriction of food intake during HD sessions. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Istanbul Medical Journal is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)