A novel ECG-biomarker for cardiac arrest during hypothermia

Dietrichs, E. S., Tveita, T., Myles, R. and Smith, G. (2020) A novel ECG-biomarker for cardiac arrest during hypothermia. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, 28, 27. (doi: 10.1186/s13049-020-00721-0) (PMID:32276599) (PMCID:PMC7149849)

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Abstract

Background: Treatment of arrhythmias evoked by accidental or therapeutic hypothermia and rewarming remains challenging. We aim to find an ECG-biomarker that can predict ventricular arrhythmias at temperatures occurring in therapeutic and accidental hypothermia. Main body: Evaluation of ECG-data from accidental and therapeutic hypothermia patients and experimental data on ECG and ventricular fibrillation (VF) threshold in hypothermic New Zealand White Rabbits. VF threshold was measured in rabbit hearts cooled to moderate (31 °C) and severe (17 °C) hypothermia. QRS-interval divided by corrected QT-interval (QTc) was calculated at same temperatures. Clinical QRS/QTc data were obtained after a systematic literature review. Rabbit QRS/QTc values correlated with risk for VF (correlation coefficient: 0.97). Human QRS/QTc values from hypothermic patients, showed similar correlation with risk for ventricular fibrillation in the experimental data (correlation coefficient: 1.00). Conclusions: These calculations indicate that QRS/QTc has potential as novel biomarker for predicting risk of hypothermia-induced cardiac arrest. Our findings apply both to victims of accidental hypothermia and to patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia during surgery or after e.g. cardiac arrest.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:Funding: This work was supported by a grant from the Northern Norwegian Health Authority [HNF1337–17 to ESD].
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Smith, Professor Godfrey and Myles, Dr Rachel and Dietrichs, Mr Erik
Authors: Dietrichs, E. S., Tveita, T., Myles, R., and Smith, G.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
Journal Name:Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine
Publisher:BMC
ISSN:1757-7241
ISSN (Online):1757-7241
Copyright Holders:Copyright © The Author(s) 2020
First Published:First published in Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine 28:27
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

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