QT Dispersion in Patients with Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Following Acute Myocardial Infarction

Regional inhomogeneity of ventricular repolarizatiTürk on has been known to be the cause of serious tachyarrhythmias. QT dispersion (QTD) measured on surface electrocardiogram (ECG) has been reported to reflect disparities in ventricular recovery times. Electrocardiographic tracings of ı42 patients with acute myocardial infaretion (MI) were reevaluated. While 50 patients developed ventricular tachycardia (VT) (sustained 22, nonsustained ı ı) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) (17 patients), 92 had none during their hospitalization. QT dispersion (QTD), QTcD, maximum adjacent (AdjQTD) and maximum adjacent corrected (AdjQTcD) values were 84.9±ı6.ı ms, 93.6±ı8.9 ms, 44.2±ı4.ı ms and 49.2±16.8 ms in patients with VT/VF and 51.3±19.ı ms, 55.3±19.1 ms, 31.3±10.4 ms and 33.7±10.7 ms in patients without VTNF, respectively (p0.05). In patients with VT only, the QTD, QTcd, Adj QTD and Adj QTcd values were 83.5±ı6.ı ms, 91.1±ı8.4 ms, 44.2±ı4.8 ms and 48.0±ı6.2 ms, respectively and in patients with VF alone these values were 87.5±ı6.2 ms, 98.4±ı9.6 ms, 44.4±ı3.2 ms and 51.5±18.1 ms, respectively. The difference between the two groups did not reach statistical significance. With respect to localization of MI; QTD, QTcd, AdjQTD and AdjQTcd values in patients with VTNF (anterior 84.8±16.5 ms, 95.ı±l9.9 ms, 43 . 2±ı3.8 ms and 49.4±ı 7.ı ms, inferior 85.1±15.9 ms, 91.0±17.4 ms, 44.5±15.2 ms and 47.9±14.9 ms, respectively) and in patients without VT, VF (anterior 51.3±ı9.0 ms, 55.3±19.1 ms, 31.3±10.7 ms and 33.7±ı0.8 ms, inferior 50.3±18.1 ms, 54.1±18.5 ms, 31.4±10.4 ms and 33.4±9.9 ms, respectively) did not have a statistically significant difference. The results of the study imply that QT dispersion in acute MI might be an easily accessible, reasonably accurate, noninvasive method in the prediction of arrhythmogenic risk.