Characteristic Electrocardiography Findings of COVID-19 Patients
1Department of Emergency, School of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
Insights
COVID-19 patients commonly exhibit sinus tachycardia on ECG, but no specific ECG findings definitively diagnose the disease. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between COVID-19 and cardiac electrical activity.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Electrocardiography
Background:
- The relationship between COVID-19 and electrocardiogram (ECG) findings is crucial for early diagnosis and patient management.
- Investigating characteristic ECG patterns in acute COVID-19 cases is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if patients with COVID-19 present with unique ECG findings during the acute phase.
- To explore the potential of ECG for early COVID-19 detection.
Main Methods:
- 124 patients were divided into COVID-19 and control groups.
- ECGs were analyzed for heart rate, rhythm, ST changes, PR, QRS, QT intervals, and bundle branch blocks.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients showed significantly higher heart rates (median 104/min) compared to controls (P<0.001).
- A significant difference in median QT interval was observed (P=0.005), though PR and QRS intervals did not differ significantly.
- No significant differences were found in QTc, ST changes, atrial fibrillation, or bundle branch blocks between groups.
Conclusions:
- Sinus tachycardia is a frequent finding in COVID-19 patients.
- Currently, no single characteristic ECG finding can definitively diagnose COVID-19.
Background:
Determining a relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ECG findings of the patients with this disease can assist in early diagnosis and patient management based on these findings. This study aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 patients had characteristic ECG findings in the acute period.
Methods:
A total of 124 patients were divided into two groups as those diagnosed with COVID-19 and controls. The ECGs of these patients were evaluated in terms of rate, rhythm, presence of ST changes, PR interval, QRS width, QTc and QT interval, and presence of right and left bundle branch blocks.
Results:
On the ECG, the median heart rate of the COVID-19 patients was 104/min (IQR: 99-114), and there was a significant difference compared to the control group (P<0.001). The median PR interval was 157/ms, the QRS width was 86 ± 9/ms in the COVID-19 patients, with no significant difference compared to the controls (P = 0.161 and P = 0.631, respectively). The median QT interval of the COVID-19 patients was normal (400/ms), but a significant difference was detected compared to the controls (P = 0.005). The QTc, ST change, AF, and presence of right and left bundle branch blocks were not significantly different between the two groups.
Conclusion:
Considering the importance of ECG findings in order to diagnose COVID-19 disease early, we can state that sinus tachycardia is very common in COVID-19 patients, but there is no characteristic ECG finding for COVID-19, including tachycardia.
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