THE RELATION BETWEEN PULMONARY HYPERTENSION MEASURED BY STANDARD TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND T WAVE AND R WAVE ALTERNANS IN ELECTROCARDIOGRAM

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University

Abstract

Background: While the exact frequency of pulmonary hypertension is unknown, it is estimated that about 1,000 new cases occur a year in the United States. Females are more often affected than males. Onset is typically between 20 and 60 years of age. It was first identified by Ernst von Romberg in 1891.
Aim of the work: To determine the correlation between ECG voltage variability and presence & severity of pulmonary hypertension.
Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 80 patients who presented to the outpatient clinic of Ain Shams university hospital and Nasser institute hospital, in the period between May 2019 and March 2020. Patients were divided into 40 patients with pulmonary hypertension (PASP>35 mm Hg) and 40 patients (age and sex matched) with normal pulmonary artery pressure, patients were subjected to full history taking, ECG, laboratory investigations, complete transthoracic Echocardiography.
Results: We found that there was no statistically significant difference between both groups as regards the incidence of QT dispersion, T wave alternans and QRS alternans. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the degree of pulmonary hypertension and incidence of QT dispersion, T wave alternans and QRS alternans.
Conclusion: In the present study we found that there is no significant relation between T wave alternans, R wave alternans and QT dispersion as parameters of ECG voltage variability and PAH. In addition, there is no significant relation between the degree of pulmonary hypertension and the degree of QT dispersion, T wave alternans and QRS alternans.

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