Publication date: 2021

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257982

Background J-waves represent a common finding in routine ECGs (5-6%) and are closely linked to ventricular tachycardias. While arrhythmias and non-specific ECG alterations are a frequent finding in COVID-19, an analysis of J-wave incidence in acute COVID-19 is lacking. Methods A total of 386 patients consecutively, hospitalized due to acute COVID-19 pneumonia were included in this retrospective analysis. Admission ECGs were analyzed, screened for J-waves and correlated to clinical characteristics and 28-day mortality. Results J-waves were present in 12.2% of patients. Factors associated with the presence of J-waves were old age, female sex, a history of stroke and/or heart failure, high CRP levels as well as a high BMI. Mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with J-waves in the admission ECG compared to the non-J-wave cohort (J-wave: 14.9% vs. non-J-wave 3.8%, p = 0.001). After adjusting for confounders using a multivariable cox regression model, the incidence of J-waves was an independent predictor of mortality at 28-days (OR 2.76 95% CI: 1.15-6.63; p = 0.023). J-waves disappeared or declined in 36.4% of COVID-19 survivors with available ECGs for 6-8 months follow-up. Conclusion J-waves are frequently and often transiently found in the admission ECG of patients hospitalized with acute COVID-19. Furthermore, they seem to be an independent predictor of 28-day mortality. © 2021 Zagidullin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Издатель: Public Library of Science

Тип: Article