Prognostic value of right ventricular strain pattern on ECG in COVID-19 patients

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 spread worldwide, causing severe morbidity and mortality and this process still continues. The aim of this study to investigate the prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) strain in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Consecutive adult patients admitted to the emergency room for COVID-19 between 1 and 30 April were included in this study. ECG was performed on hospital admission and was evaluated as blind. RV strain was defined as in the presence of one or more of the following ECG findings: complete or incomplete right ventricular branch block (RBBB), negative T wave in V1-V4 and presence of S1Q3T3. The main outcome measure was death during hospitalization. The relationship of variables to the main outcome was evaluated by multivariable Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 324 patients with COVID-19 were included in the study; majority of patients were male (187, 58%) and mean age was 64.2 ± 14.1. Ninety-five patients (29%) had right ventricular strain according to ECG and 66 patients (20%) had died. After a multivariable survival analysis, presence of RV strain on ECG (OR: 4.385, 95%CI: 2.226–8.638, p < 0.001), high-sensitivity troponin I (hs-TnI), d-dimer and age were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: Presence of right ventricular strain pattern on ECG is associated with in hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19.