QT dispersion in acute rheumatic fever

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Electrophysiology
• Rheumatic Diseases

Background:

• Acute rheumatic fever can cause conduction disturbances.
• QT dispersion on electrocardiogram (ECG) is a measure of cardiac repolarization.
• Investigating QT dispersion in children with acute rheumatic fever is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess QT dispersion in children diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever.
• To correlate QT dispersion with the presence and severity of carditis.
• To evaluate the prognostic value of QT dispersion for valvar lesions.

Main Methods:

• QT dispersion was measured in 88 children with acute rheumatic fever.
• Patients were categorized into groups with and without carditis.
• A control group of 36 healthy children was included for comparison.
• Echocardiography monitored valvar lesions over 3 months.

Main Results:

• Children with rheumatic carditis exhibited significantly higher mean QT dispersion.
• No statistical difference in QT dispersion was observed between children without carditis and healthy controls.
• Higher QT dispersion correlated with significant valvar regurgitation in carditis patients.
• QT dispersion thresholds predicted rheumatic carditis and severe valvar lesions with high sensitivity and specificity.
• A reduction in QT dispersion was noted at follow-up, indicating electrophysiological improvement.

Conclusions:

• Increased QT dispersion is associated with cardiac involvement in pediatric acute rheumatic fever.
• QT dispersion serves as a valuable non-invasive marker for assessing cardiac status in acute rheumatic fever.
• Monitoring QT dispersion may aid in predicting disease severity and response to treatment.