ECG patterns in post-COVID-19 patients

Abstract

COVID-19 has been associated with a wide range of cardiac sequelae after the acute phase. The goal of the study is to evaluate the spectrum of arrhythmias in the aspects of age, comorbidity and survival rate using ECG patterns in patients after COVID-19 during 2 months of recovery. ECG data of 758 patients were examined and analyzed, including 256 (33.6%) males and 503 (66.4%) females aged 15 to 90 (52.99 ± 11.68) years. A total of 848 ECGs were performed in acute period and recovery. ECG changes were classified according to the Minnesota code (MC) classes. It was found that age, sex, severity of COVID-19, presence of concomitant hypertension and diabetes mellitus have a significant impact on ECG changes. Age correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (r = 0.485, P < 0.001), concomitant hypertension (r = 0.471, P < 0.001), diabetes (r = 0.346, P < 0.001) and obesity (r = 0.179, P < 0.001). Correlations were established between age and the presence of baseline previous pathological ECGs (r = 0.290, P < 0.0001). We established that heart rhythm disorders related to the severity of the COVID course are significantly influenced by oxygen saturation (r = -0.211, P < 0.001) and, to a lesser extent, the percentage of lung damage according to CT data (r = 0.127, P = 0.060). The results of the arrhythmias screening in patients with COVID-19 demonstrate the association mainly with the severity of the disease, and comorbidity, especially diabetes mellitus. So, we may consider arrhythmogenesis in COVID-19 through the prism of inflammation, intoxication, hypoxia, metabolic disorders, and drug effects. Keywords: arrhythmias, electrocardiography, Minnesota code (MC) classes, post-COVID-19