Open AccessJ-waves in acute COVID-19: A novel disease characteristic and predictor of mortality?
Author(s) -
Naufal Zagidullin,
Lukas J. Motloch,
Timur Ilgamovich Musin,
З. А. Багманова,
И. А. Лакман,
А. V. Tyurin,
Ruslan M. Gumerov,
Dinar Enikeev,
Benzhi Cai,
Diana Gareeva,
P. A. Davtyan,
Damir Gareev,
Halima Malikovna Talipova,
Marat Badykov,
Peter Jirak,
Kristen Kopp,
Uta C. Hoppe,
Rudin Pistulli,
В. Н. Павлов
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0257982
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , retrospective cohort study , confounding , proportional hazards model , cardiology , pneumonia , cohort study , cohort , covid-19 , stroke (engine) , disease , mechanical engineering , physics , infectious disease (medical specialty) , optics , engineering
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.