Heart 1998;79:554-559 ( June )
Electrocardiographic measures of ventricular repolarisation dispersion in patients with coronary artery disease susceptible to ventricular fibrillation
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology,
Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, 00290 Helsinki,
Finland
Correspondence to: Dr Oikarinen.
Accepted for publication 24 February 1998
Objective
To study electrocardiographic measures
of ventricular repolarisation dispersion in patients prone to
ventricular fibrillation compared with controls matched for the extent
of coronary heart disease and the use of 
blockers.
DesignA case-control study.
SettingCardiovascular laboratory of a tertiary
referral centre.
PatientsFifty patients with documented
ventricular fibrillation not associated with acute myocardial
infarction, and their controls matched for sex, age, number of diseased
coronary vessels, left ventricular ejection fraction, previous
myocardial infarction and its location, and the use of blockers.
Main outcome measuresElectrocardiographic
measures of QT, JT, and Tend interval dispersions in a 12 lead electrocardiogram.
ResultsThe ventricular fibrillation patients
compared to controls showed increased mean (SD) QTapex
dispersion (53 (18) ms v 44 (18) ms, respectively;
p < 0.01) and mean (SD) Tend dispersion (46 (17) ms
v 38 (15) ms, respectively; p < 0.05).
ConclusionsIncreased QTapex and
Tend dispersions are associated with a susceptibility to
ventricular fibrillation even when the extent of the coronary heart
disease and use of blockers are taken into consideration. However,
because of a considerable overlap between the groups, measures of QT
dispersion assessed from a 12 lead electrocardiogram do not provide
clinically useful information for identification of patients at risk of
sudden cardiac death.
© 1998 by Heart
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This article has been cited by other articles:
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Jordaens, L. J. L. M.
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