Arrhythmias and electrocardiographic findings in Coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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Sebastian Garcia-Zamora1, Sharen Lee2, Sohaib Haseeb3

  • 1Cardiology Department, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology : PACE
|April 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac arrhythmias, including QTc prolongation and ST-segment deviation, were common in COVID-19 patients. These heart rhythm issues indicate a worse prognosis for hospitalized patients with Coronavirus disease 2019.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects the lungs, but cardiac involvement is linked to poorer outcomes.
  • Understanding the prevalence and impact of cardiac arrhythmias in COVID-19 patients is crucial for prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of electrocardiogram-detected cardiac arrhythmias in COVID-19 patients.
  • To examine the relationship between cardiac arrhythmias and adverse outcomes in individuals with COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google.
  • Included studies reported on cardiac arrhythmias and/or their association with adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
  • Meta-analysis was performed on data from 28 studies involving 12,499 participants.

Main Results:

  • The overall prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in 7578 COVID-19 patients was 10.3%.
  • Supraventricular arrhythmias (6.2%) and ventricular arrhythmias (2.5%) were the most common.
  • Arrhythmias were more frequent in critically ill patients (RR: 12.1) and non-survivors (RR: 3.8).
  • QTc prolongation (>500 ms) occurred in 12.3% of patients, and ST-segment deviation in 8.7%.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiac arrhythmias, including QTc prolongation and ST-segment deviation, are frequently observed in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
  • The presence of cardiac arrhythmias is significantly associated with a worse prognosis in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19ECGatrial fibrillationventricular tachyarrhythmias

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