Table 2 Baseline, ECG and clinical characteristics of patients according to the QTc interval at ≥ 48 h from treatment initiation.

From: Absence of relevant QT interval prolongation in not critically ill COVID-19 patients

 

QTc ≤ 460 ms

(n = 188)a

QTc > 460 ms

(n = 31)a

P value

Baseline characteristics no. (%)

Age–mean (SD), yr

61.3 (17.0)

77.3 (2.9)

 < .001

Male sex

99 (52.7)

13 (41.9)

0.268

Outpatient management

35 (18.6)

1 (3.2)

.032

AHT

87 (46.3)

22 (71.0)

.011

Structural Heart Disease

20 (10.6)

13 (41.9)

 < .001

Obesity

18 (9.6)

1 (3.2)

.487

ACEI/ARB

66 (35.1)

17 (54.8)

.046

Beta blocker

31 (16.5)

5 (25.8)

.209

Antidepressant

24 (12.8)

12 (38.7)

 < .001

ECG at baseline–median (IQR)

PR interval, ms

150 [140–160]

150 [140–180]

0.915

QRS interval, ms

90 [80–100]

100 [90–122]

 < .001

QT interval, ms

360 [330–370]

360 [340–400]

0.125

QTc interval, ms

414 [400–427]

446 [433–476]

 < .001

Heart Rate, bpm

81 [72–99]

94 [75–101]

0.113

Clinical features–median (IQR)

Length of stay, d

7.5 [5.0–11.0]

7.0 [5.0–9.8]

.499

Fever–no. (%)

126 (67.0)

19 (61.3)

.532

Multilobar Pneumonia–no. (%)

112 (59.6)

23 (74.2)

.121

Ferritin–ng/mL

571.0 [196.8–1337.3]

642.0 [258.0–1119.0]

.771

Hs Troponin I–pg/ml

5.0 [2.0–13.0]

22.4 [9.4–69.0]

 < .001

DD–mg/L

0.9 [0.5–1.9]

1.4 [0.8–13.5]

.008

LDH–IU/L

361.5 [262.3–457.5]

392.0 [301.0–505.0]

.175

CRP–mg/L

67.0 [18.1–146.0]

78.0 [37.0–209.0]

.084

Na + –mEq/Lb

139.0 [136.0–141.0]

138.5 [136.3–141.0]

.649

K + –mEq/Lb

4.1 [3.8–4.4]

3.7 [3.4–4.3]

.087

Ca + 2–mg/dLb

9 [8.6–9.4]

8.5 [8.3–9.0]

.009

Tocilizumab–no. (%)

9 (4.8)

2 (6.5)

.658

Antidepressant–no. (%)

16 (8.5)

11 (35.5)

 < .001

Neuroleptic–no. (%)

13 (6.9)

6 (19.4)

.035

Treatment discontinuation–no. (%)c

6 (3.2)

8 (25.8)

 < .001

Exitus–no. (%)

10 (5.3)

5 (16.1)

.027

  1. ACEI, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; AHT, arterial hypertension ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; CRP, C-reactive protein; DD, D-dimer; ECG, electrocardiogram; Hs, high sensitive; IQR, interquartile range; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; SD, standard deviation.
  2. aBoth groups were created using a QTc cut-off of 460 ms in the ECG at ≥ 48 h from treatment initiation.
  3. bPlasma ions were analyzed at the time the control ECG was performed.
  4. cTreatment discontinuation because of findings in the ECG at ≥ 48 h from treatment initiation.
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