Banai A, Szekely Y, Lupu L, Borohovitz A, Levi E, Ghantous E, Taieb P, Hochstadt A, Banai S, Topilsky Y, Chorin E. QT Interval Prolongation Is a Novel Predictor of 1-Year Mortality in Patients With COVID-19 Infection.
Front Cardiovasc Med 2022;
9:869089. [PMID:
35757338 PMCID:
PMC9223350 DOI:
10.3389/fcvm.2022.869089]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
QT interval prolongation is common in critically ill patients and is associated with increased mortality. However, the predictive value of a prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) for myocardial injury and long-term mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection is not well known.
Purpose
To evaluate the association of prolonged QTc with myocardial injury and with 1-year mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection.
Materials and Methods
A total of 335 consecutive patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection were prospectively studied. All patients underwent a comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation within 48 h from admission. Using the Bazett formula, the QTc interval was calculated from the first ECG tracing recorded at the ER. QTc ≥ 440 ms in males and ≥450 ms in females was considered prolonged. Patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers and/or echocardiographic signs of myocardial dysfunction were considered to have myocardial injury. The predictive value of QTc prolongation for myocardial injury was calculated using a multivariate binary regression model. One-year mortality rate of patients with and without QTc prolongation was compared using the log-rank test, and a multivariate Cox regression model adjusting for multiple covariates was performed to evaluate the 1-year mortality risk.
Results
One-hundred and nine (32.5%) patients had a prolonged QTc. Compared to patients without QTc prolongation, patients with prolonged QTc were older (70 ± 14.4 vs. 62.7 ± 16.6, p < 0.001), had more comorbidities, and presented with a more severe disease. Prolonged QTc was an independent predictor for severe or critical disease (adjusted HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.3-3.5; p = 0.002) and myocardial injury (adjusted HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.22-3.5; p = 0.007). One-year mortality of patients with prolonged QTc was higher than those with no QTc prolongation (40.4% vs. 15.5; p < 0.001). Following adjustment to multiple covariates including myocardial injury and disease severity, QTc prolongation was found to be associated with increased 1-year mortality risk (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.06-2.68, p = 0.027).
Conclusion
Prolonged QTc is associated with disease severity, myocardial injury and 1-year mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection.
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