Heart 1998;80:77-79 ( July )
Dispersion of QT and QTc interval in healthy children, and effects of sinus arrhythmia on QT dispersion
Ankara University
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Ankara, Turkey
Correspondence to: Dr H Ercan Tutar, Büklüm sokak, 20/17, 06660 Kavaklidere, Ankara, Turkey.
Accepted for publication 16 February 1998
Objective
To
determine the normal values of QT and QTc dispersion and the effects of
sinus arrhythmia on QT dispersion in healthy children.
Patients and
settingThe study was carried out in a
university hospital on 372 local schoolchildren (200 male, 172 female),
aged seven to 18 years.
MethodsThe QT and
preceding RR intervals of at least one sinus beat were measured
manually in a range of nine to 12 leads on standard 12 lead surface
ECGs. The corrected QT interval was computed by the method of Bazett.
Dispersion of QT and QTc were defined as (1) the difference between the
maximum and minimum QT and QTc intervals occurring in any of the 12 leads (QTD and QTcD), (2) the standard deviation of the QT and QTc
interval in the measurable leads (QT-SD and QTc-SD).
ResultsThere
was no significant difference in QT, QTc, and RR dispersion between
girls and boys. Overall 53% of children had sinus arrhythmia. Although
QTD and QT-SD were not affected by sinus arrhythmia, both QTcD and
QTc-SD were significantly greater in children with sinus arrhythmia
than in those without (QTcD: 52.9 (17.4) v
40.9 (13.1); QTc-SD: 17.5 (5.9) v 13.2 (4.0); p < 0.001).
ConclusionsAs
calculation of QTc dispersion is affected by sinus arrhythmia, which is
common in childhood, we suggest that QT dispersion should not be
corrected for heart rate in children.
© 1998 by Heart
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