The relationship between QT interval and ventricular arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction

Out of a total of 947 patients admitted to the CCU at Serafimerlasarettet during 2 years, all those with AMI and vintricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) during the CCU stay were selected. The QT interval could be measured in 15 patients with VF and 12 with VT before the event. The QT interval was also measured in two control groups; one consisted of 27 consecutively admitted patients with AMI without ventricular arrhythmias (VA), the other of 27 non-AMI patients treated in the CCU. Most patients in the group with VA showed pathologically prolonged QT intervals and there were statistically significant differences between this group and the control groups regarding corrected mean QT intervals. If these findings are confirmed, QT measurements might be of value in the prediction of malignant VA in AMI.