Electrocardiogram analysis of patients with different types of COVID-19

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes acute myocardial damage and arrhythmia in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Studying the changes of electrocardiogram is of great significance for the diagnosis of patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective analysis method was adopted to compare the electrocardiogram changes between COVID-19 critically severe and severe patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the correlation of the levels of serum indexes and past medical history with ST-T changes and atrial fibrillation. And the correlation of ECG parameters with in-hospital death and ventilator use were investigated by using the same methods.

Results: The incidence of male, stroke, elevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N-terminal of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), d-dimer, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hyperkalemia, and hypocalcemia in the critically ill patients was higher than that in severe patients. There were differences in ST-T changes, sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and atrial tachycardia between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated cTnI and NT-proBNP were the independent risk factors of ST-T changes. Elevated NT-proBNP and age were the independent risk factors of atrial fibrillation. Sinus tachycardia and atrial fibrillation were the independent risk factors of in-hospital death and ventilator use.

Conclusion: ST-T changes, sinus tachycardia, and atrial fibrillation are with great significance in the diagnosis of the severity, myocardia injury, and cardiac insufficiency of COVID-19 patients. Sinus tachycardia and atrial fibrillation could be used as independent variables predicting in-hospital death and ventilator use.