Cardiovascular profile and electrocardiographic findings of hospitalized adult patients during the surge of delta and omicron variants of COVID-19 in a COVID-19 tertiary referral center

ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 has been reported to cause cardiac injury. It can be detected by an electrocardiogram (ECG), which may show markers that may predict clinical outcome. Robust data on the ECG abnormalities among COVID-19 patients affected by the alpha, beta, and gamma variants have been reported, but there is paucity of data among patients affected by the delta and omicron variants. Purpose(s) This study aims to describe the cardiovascular profile, ECG findings, and clinical course of adult patients with COVID-19, and to determine the association between certain ECG findings and clinical outcomes among these patients. Method(s) We evaluated 547 COVID-19 patients admitted from June 2021 to June 2022. Clinical profiles were extracted from electronic records. Admission ECGs were independently read and adjudicated by three cardiologists. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the association between ECG abnormalities and adverse outcomes, including in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, need for mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, acute kidney injury (AKI), myocardial infarction (MI), myocarditis, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and stroke. Result(s) A Total of 547 COVID-19 patients (mean age 54;men 51.2%) were included. The most common comorbidities were hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Majority of patients had severe COVID-19 infection (36%). On admission, 6.4% needed intubation and 14.6% died. The most common ECG abnormalities were non-specific ST-T wave changes (41.1%) and sinus tachycardia (25.6%). Other findings were ST segment depression (3.3%), T wave inversion (1.6%), and ST segment elevation (1.3%). On logistic regression analysis, intraventricular conduction delay (IVCD), T wave inversion, and poor R wave progression were significantly associated with mortality;sinus tachycardia, atrioventricular (AV) block, ST segment elevation, and T wave inversion were significantly associated with the development of VTE;left axis deviation, ST segment elevation, and T wave inversion were significantly associated with the development of ARDS;sinus tachycardia, ST segment depression, and T wave inversion were significantly associated with the development of shock;and sinus tachycardia, ST segment elevation, and early repolarization changes were significantly associated with ICU admission. No associations were established for AKI, MI, myocarditis, and need for mechanical ventilation due to the low prevalence of these outcomes. Conclusion(s) A baseline ECG in patients with COVID-19 may help predict patients who may warrant hospitalization or even intensive care monitoring. In our cohort, certain ECG abnormalities, especially sinus tachycardia, left axis deviation, ST segment elevation, ST segment depression, T wave inversion, AV block, IVCD, poor R wave progression, and early repolarization changes, were associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including in-hospital mortality.