Electrocardiographic Evaluation of Patients with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

Abstract

Infectious diseases can affect the myocardium directly or through cytokines. Disruption of cardiac depolarization and repolarization is associated with the development of arrhythmia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters in patients with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF). 42 patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of CCHF were included in the study. Heart rate, PR interval, P dispersion, QRS duration, QT interval and corrected QT, T peak T end, Tp-e/QT ratio, Tp-e/QTc ratio, and QT dispersion parameters were calculated from 12-lead ECGs at the time of admission and discharge. The mean age of the patients in the study was 45.8 ± 16.9 years. ECG parameters were found to be similar at admission and discharge (all p values>0.1). Major events such as life-threatening bleeding, significant hypotension, and shock were not observed in any of the patients. Platelet and white blood cell values were significantly increased at discharge compared to admission (78.3 vs 197.6 x103, p=0.01 and 2.8 vs 5.4 x103, p=0.006 respectively). In patients with CCHF, there was no significant change in ECG polarization parameters at the onset of the active infection process and during hospitalization period and these parameters found to be within normal limits.