Ventricular Repolarization Parameters in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Objective: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) may cause atrial and/or ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac deaths, especially in severe cases. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 affects the ventricular repolarization parameters.Materials and Methods: In this study, 152 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were included retrospectively. Age and sex-matched 151 healthy subjects were assigned as the control group. QT, QTc, Tpe, Tpe/QT, and Tpe/QTc values of all participants were determined and compared between both groups. The relationship between high sensitive-troponin I (hsTnI) and the parameters mentioned was analyzed using the Spearman correlation test.Results: Mean age, male gender and comorbidity rates were similar in both groups (p>0.05 for each). Heart rate, QTc, Tpe, Tpe/QT, and Tpe/QTc values were higher in the study group (p<0.001 for each). However, QT and QRS values were comparable in both groups (p>0.05 for each). There were positive correlations between hsTnI and QT (rho=0.218, p=0.008), QTc (rho=0.308, p<0.001), Tpe (rho=0.646, p<0.001), Tpe/QT (rho=0.571, p<0.001), and Tpe/QTc (rho=0.608, p<0.001).Conclusion: In patients with COVID-19, QTc, Tpe, Tpe/QT, and Tpe/QTc values are higher than the control group and these parameters correlate positively with hsTnI. Therefore, ECG follow-up may be beneficial in preventing arrhythmic events, especially in patients with acute cardiac injuries.