Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6
Background: Cardiac injury is associated with high mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection. Electrocardiographic changes can give clues to the underlying cardiovascular abnormalities. Raised inflammatory markers like raised interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with arrhythmia, heart failure, an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2022;volume=11;issue=10;spage=5902;epage=5908;aulast=Kaeley |
| _version_ | 1811199801953353728 |
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| author | Nidhi Kaeley Prakash Mahala Rohit Walia Poonam Arora Vandana Dhingra |
| author_facet | Nidhi Kaeley Prakash Mahala Rohit Walia Poonam Arora Vandana Dhingra |
| author_sort | Nidhi Kaeley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Cardiac injury is associated with high mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection. Electrocardiographic changes can give clues to the underlying cardiovascular abnormalities. Raised inflammatory markers like raised interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with arrhythmia, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. However, past studies have not highlighted the electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL- 6 levels. This study compared the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in COVID-19 patients with high and normal IL-6 levels. Methods: A retrospective analysis of ECG of 306 patients with COVID-19 infection was done, out of which 250 patients had normal IL- 6 levels, whereas 56 patients had raised IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels were measured in all the patients. Detailed clinicodemographic profile of all the serial COVID-19 patients admitted with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia was noted from the hospital record section. Electrocardiographic findings and biochemical parameters of all the patients were noted. Results: Out of 56 patients with raised IL-6 levels, 41 (73.2%) patients had ECG abnormalities compared to 177 (70.8%) patients with normal IL-6 levels. This difference was not statistically significant. However, ECG abnormality such as sinus tachycardia was significantly more common in patients with raised IL-6 levels than those with normal levels. Among patients with raised IL-6 levels who were discharged, 5 (16.6%) had sinus tachycardia, 2 (6.6%) had ST/T wave changes as compared to 15 (57.6%), and 10 (38.4%) who had tachycardia and ST/T wave change respectably succumbed to death. This difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: Sinus tachycardia followed by atrial fibrillation and right bundle branch block are common ECG changes in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL-6. The possible association of cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19 infection with coexisting raised IL-6 levels should be explored further. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:54:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-499549637137411e83db9e3f150cce54 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-4863 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:54:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-499549637137411e83db9e3f150cce542022-12-22T03:52:50ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632022-01-0111105902590810.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_135_22Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6Nidhi KaeleyPrakash MahalaRohit WaliaPoonam AroraVandana DhingraBackground: Cardiac injury is associated with high mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection. Electrocardiographic changes can give clues to the underlying cardiovascular abnormalities. Raised inflammatory markers like raised interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with arrhythmia, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. However, past studies have not highlighted the electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL- 6 levels. This study compared the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in COVID-19 patients with high and normal IL-6 levels. Methods: A retrospective analysis of ECG of 306 patients with COVID-19 infection was done, out of which 250 patients had normal IL- 6 levels, whereas 56 patients had raised IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels were measured in all the patients. Detailed clinicodemographic profile of all the serial COVID-19 patients admitted with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia was noted from the hospital record section. Electrocardiographic findings and biochemical parameters of all the patients were noted. Results: Out of 56 patients with raised IL-6 levels, 41 (73.2%) patients had ECG abnormalities compared to 177 (70.8%) patients with normal IL-6 levels. This difference was not statistically significant. However, ECG abnormality such as sinus tachycardia was significantly more common in patients with raised IL-6 levels than those with normal levels. Among patients with raised IL-6 levels who were discharged, 5 (16.6%) had sinus tachycardia, 2 (6.6%) had ST/T wave changes as compared to 15 (57.6%), and 10 (38.4%) who had tachycardia and ST/T wave change respectably succumbed to death. This difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: Sinus tachycardia followed by atrial fibrillation and right bundle branch block are common ECG changes in patients with COVID-19 infection with raised IL-6. The possible association of cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19 infection with coexisting raised IL-6 levels should be explored further.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2022;volume=11;issue=10;spage=5902;epage=5908;aulast=Kaeleycovid-19electrocardiogramil-6sars-cov-2 |
| spellingShingle | Nidhi Kaeley Prakash Mahala Rohit Walia Poonam Arora Vandana Dhingra Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care covid-19 electrocardiogram il-6 sars-cov-2 |
| title | Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6 |
| title_full | Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6 |
| title_fullStr | Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6 |
| title_short | Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and raised interleukin-6 |
| title_sort | electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with covid 19 pneumonia and raised interleukin 6 |
| topic | covid-19 electrocardiogram il-6 sars-cov-2 |
| url | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2022;volume=11;issue=10;spage=5902;epage=5908;aulast=Kaeley |
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