Electrocardiographic and other Noninvasive Hemodynamic Markers in Decompensated CHF Patients

Acutely decompensated chronic heart failure (adCHF) is among the most important causes of in-hospital mortality. R-wave peak time (R(p)T) or delayed intrinsicoid deflection was proposed as a risk marker of sudden cardiac death and heart failure decompensation. Authors want to verify if QR interval or R(p)T, obtained from 12-lead standard ECG and during 5-min ECG recordings (II lead), could be useful to identify adCHF. At hospital admission, patients underwent 5-min ECG recordings, obtaining mean and standard deviation ((SD)) of the following ECG intervals: QR, QRS, QT, JT, and T peak–T end (Te). The R(p)T from a standard ECG was calculated. Patients were grouped by the age-stratified Januzzi NT-proBNP cut-off. A total of 140 patients with suspected adCHF were enrolled: 87 (mean age 83 ± 10, M/F 38/49) with and 53 (mean age: 83 ± 9, M/F: 23/30) without adCHF. V(5-), V(6-) (p < 0.05) R(p)T, and QR(SD), QRS(SD), QT(SD), JT(SD), and Te(SD) p < 0.001 were significantly higher in the adCHF group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the mean of QT (p < 0.05) and Te (p < 0.05) were the most reliable markers of in-hospital mortality. V(6) R(p)T was directly related to NT-proBNP (r: 0.26, p < 0.001) and inversely related to a left ventricular ejection fraction (r: 0.38, p < 0.001). The intrinsicoid deflection time (obtained from V(5-6) and QR(SD)) could be used as a possible marker of adCHF.