Ventricular repolarization indexes in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine - azithromycin combination for COVID-19.
Bratisl Lek Listy
; 121(11): 817-821, 2020.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33164544
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) carries increased risk of corrected QT (QTc) prolongation and cardiac arrhythmias.OBJECTIVE:
To characterize the ventricular repolarization indexes which are associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and concomitant azithromycin for COVID-19.METHOD:
A total of 81 patients who had hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination therapy because of possible or reverse-transcription polymertase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in the study. Baseline and control electrocardiograms (before and after treatment) were analyzed retrospectively. Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios, which are ventricular repolarization indexes, were calculated.RESULTS:
While there was no significant increase in QTc interval in patients receiving combination therapy, there was a significant increase in ventricular repolarization indexes.CONCLUSION:
The increase in ventricular replarization indexes is associated with the risk of arrhythmia. In patients using QTc prolonging medication for COVID-19 treatment, QTc monitoring alone may not be sufficient to follow-up for arrhythmia. Even if there is no prolongation in QTc, an increase in ventricular repolarization indexes may be seen (Tab. 5, Ref. 37).Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Long QT Syndrome
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Azithromycin
/
Hydroxychloroquine
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Bratisl Lek Listy
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article