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Evaluation of PR, RR, QT Intervals and QT Dispersion Following Stellate Ganglion Block in Chronic Shoulder–Hand Pain Patients
Author(s) -
Saxena Ashok K.,
Aggarwal Bhavna,
Nakra Dhiraj,
Sethi Ashok K.,
Aggarwal Aditya N.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
pain practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1533-2500
pISSN - 1530-7085
DOI - 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2004.04204.x
Subject(s) - qt interval , medicine , anesthesia , rr interval , heart rate , cardiology , interval (graph theory) , electrocardiography , heart rate variability , blood pressure , mathematics , combinatorics
Right stellate ganglion block (SGB) can increase QT interval, rate‐corrected QT interval (QTc), QT dispersion (QTD), rate‐corrected QTD (QTcD), and RR interval while left SGB can decrease these intervals in healthy volunteers. No such studies have been conducted in patients with chronic pain, hence this study was designed to investigate the effects of left and right SGB on these variables in chronic shoulder–hand pain patients. In this study, 28 patients with chronic shoulder–hand pain of at least 6 months duration were given right or left SGB depending on the shoulder affected. A 12‐lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded before the block, 30 minutes and 60 minutes after the block. PR interval, RR interval, QT interval were recorded in all 12 leads while QTc, QTD, and QTcD were calculated. Right SGB was performed in 21 patients. A significant decrease ( P < 0.05) in PR interval and a significant increase ( P < 0.05) in RR interval, QT interval, and QTc interval were observed. QTD showed a significant increase ( P < 0.05) only at 30 minutes after right SGB. Left SGB was performed in seven patients. A significant decrease ( P < 0.05) in QT interval was observed throughout the study period, while QTc showed a significant decrease ( P < 0.05) only at 60 minutes after the block. We conclude that right SGB induces significant increase of QT interval, RR interval, QTc interval, QTD, and a significant decrease of PR interval while left SGB produces a significant decrease in QT and QTc intervals in patients with chronic shoulder–hand pain.