Outcomes of preoperative fragmented QRS detection on operative and postoperative events in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the preoperative electrocardiographic data of patients who were candidates for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in terms of fragmented QRS (fQRS) presence and to evaluate short-term outcomes of fQRS on operative and postoperative courses. Patients and methods: Between January 2019 and April 2022, a total of 178 patients (137 males, 41 females; mean age: 61.4±9.3 years; range, 39 to 85 years) who underwent elective CABG were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative electrocardiographic examinations were performed to detect fQRS. The patients were divided into two groups according to presence of fQRS as the fQRS+ (n=35) and fQRS– (n=143) group. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, operative, and postoperative data of both groups were evaluated. Results: The mean duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (p=0.017) and number of CABG (p=0.026) in the fQRS group were found to be significantly higher, while the mean preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction values were lower in this group (p<0.001). There was a significant increase in the left ventricular ejection fraction values at the postoperative third month in the fQRS+ group (p<0.001). Mortality encountered in 5.7% in the fQRS+ group, while this rate was 2.7% in the fQRS– group (p=0.336). Conclusion: Preoperative detection of QRS fragmentations on admission electrocardiograms may have an additional value in predicting postoperative cardiac status and short-term prognosis in patients undergoing CABG.