Evaluation of ventricular electrophysiological balance index in COVID-19 patients with SIRS

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Malignant ventricular arrhythmia is an important cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients (1-3). In our study, we aimed to investigate the cardiac electrophysiological balance index (ICEB), which predicts the risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmia in patients with COVID-19 who developed SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome). Method(s) After exclusion criteria (atrial fibrillation, left bundle branch block, pre-excitation), a total of 533 COVID-19 patients, of whom 197 (37%) were SIRS, were included in the study. Result(s) The average age in the study population was 62 (49-72), and the gender distribution was 49% (261) female, 51% (272) male. The patients were divided into two groups as the control group with SIRS and the control group without SIRS. The clinical, laboratory and demographic characteristics of the patients were compared in Table 1. The QTc/QRS ratio (ICEBc) in the SIRS group was 5.1 (4.64-5.1) and was significantly higher than 4.98 (4.5-5.45) in the control group (p=0.004). The QTc interval was 450 (422-474) and 427 (407-447) significantly longer in the SIRS group than the control group (p=0.001). As a result of multivariable linear regression analysis, a significant correlation was found between ICEBc and SIRS, age, gender and CRP. Conclusion(s) Malign ventricular arrhythmias developing in COVID-19 patients are an important cause of mortality. ICEBc and QTc were significantly higher in the SIRS group than in the control group. It was thought that ICEBc could be used to predict malignant ventricular arrhythmias in the patient group developing SIRS.