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Biphasic P wave in inferior leads and the development of atrial fibrillation
Hideki Hayashi1, Minoru Horie1
1Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan.
Background:
Anisotropic and slow conduction in the atrium underlie the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to investigate the P wave characteristics associated with the development of AF in patients with a biphasic P wave in the inferior leads.
Methods:
Digital analysis of retrospectively recorded 12-lead electrocardiograms was performed to select patients with a biphasic P wave (positive/negative) in lead II from a database of 114,334 patients. Characteristics of the P wave in the inferior leads associated with incidence of AF were determined. Receiver operating characteristic curves dichotomized P wave variables were measured in each lead.
Results:
A total of 141 patients (77 men; mean age, 64±19 years) were enrolled in this study. Twenty-nine (20.6%) patients developed AF (AF group) vs. 112 (79.6%) who did not (non-AF group) during a follow-up period of 50±62 months. The amplitude of the initial P wave portion in lead II was significantly larger in the AF group when compared with the non-AF group (77.3±77.0 µV vs. 51.0±30.1 µV, p=0.003), while the amplitude of the terminal P wave portion in lead III was significantly decreased in the AF group when compared with the non-AF group (-70.6±41.3 µV vs. -89.1±38.1 µV, p=0.024). The duration of the initial P wave portion in lead III was significantly longer in the AF group when compared with the non-AF group (52.7±34.6 ms vs. 35.8±30.4 ms, p=0.011). Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards analysis confirmed that the increased duration of the initial P wave portion in lead III (≥71 ms) was independently associated with AF development (hazard ratio 2.90, 95% confidence interval 1.16-7.11, p=0.02).
Conclusion:
The analyses of the biphasic P wave in the inferior leads suggest that the development of AF could be attributed to increased atrial slow conduction.
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