Open AccessProlonged qt interval: A marker of sudden infant death syndrome?
Author(s) -
Perticone Francesco,
Ceravolo Roberto,
Mattioli Pier Luigi
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960140510
Subject(s) - medicine , qt interval , long qt syndrome , sudden death , heart rate , prospective cohort study , pediatrics , electrocardiography , anesthesia , sudden infant death syndrome , cardiology , blood pressure
A prospective electrocardiographic study was performed in 1830 newborns to evaluate the predictive value of QT interval for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Standard ECG, with babies asleep, was recorded at the ages of 4 days, 2, 4, 6 months, and 1 year. The QTc (±SD) was 392±22 at 4 days, 410±16 (p>0.0001) at 2 months (n=1256), 404±16 at 4 months (n= 1015), 400±16 at 6 months (n=895), and 398±15 at 1 year (n=890). QTc values longer than the mean plus 3 standard deviations were considered prolonged. Heart rate values (beats/min) were 138±19 at 4 days, 141±13 at 2 months, 134±13 at 4 months, 133±13 at 6 months, and 128±14 at 1 year. In 34 babies the QT interval was prolonged (mean + 3SD) and 3 of these died suddenly: the first, at 3 months (QTc = 470 and HR = 147 at 4 days); the second after 7 weeks (QTc = 514, HR = 115); the third at 3 months (QTc = 464 and HR = 140 at 4 days).