Is T-Wave Alternans a Repolarization Abnormality Marker in COVID-19? An Investigation on the Potentialities of Portable Electrocardiogram Device

Alexander Edo Tondas; Dian Andina Munawar; Ilaria Marcantoni; Iche Andriyani Liberty; Rido Mulawarman; Muhammad Hadi; Monica Trifitriana; Taufik Indrajaya; Muhammad Yamin; Irfannuddin Irfannuddin; Laura Burattini

doi:10.14740/cr1458

Is T-Wave Alternans a Repolarization Abnormality Marker in COVID-19? An Investigation on the Potentialities of Portable Electrocardiogram Device

Cardiol Res. 2023 Feb;14(1):45-53. doi: 10.14740/cr1458. Epub 2023 Feb 25.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital, Palembang, Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia.
² Biomedicine Doctoral Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, Indonesia.
³ Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
⁴ Department of Cardiology, Lyell Mcewin Hospital, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
⁵ Department of Information Engineering, Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya Palembang, Indonesia.
⁷ Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, Indonesia.
⁸ Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.

PMID: 36896221
PMCID: PMC9990541
DOI: 10.14740/cr1458

Abstract

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are significantly associated with poor outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Microvolt T-wave alternans (TWA) can be automatically quantified and has been recognized as a representation of repolarization heterogeneity and linked to arrhythmogenesis in various cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to explore the correlation between microvolt TWA and COVID-19 pathology.

Methods: Patients suspected of COVID-19 in Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital were consecutively evaluated using Alivecor^® Kardiamobile 6L™ portable electrocardiogram (ECG) device. Severe COVID-19 patients or those who are unable to cooperate in active ECG self-recording were excluded from the study. TWA was detected and its amplitude was quantified using the novel enhanced adaptive match filter (EAMF) method.

Results: A total of 175 patients, 114 COVID-19 patients (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive group), and 61 non-COVID-19 patients (PCR-negative group) were enrolled in the study. PCR-positive group was subdivided according to the severity of COVID-19 pathology into mild and moderate severity subgroups. Baseline TWA levels were similar between both groups during admission (42.47 ± 26.52 µV vs. 44.72 ± 38.21 µV), but higher TWA levels were observed during discharge in the PCR-positive compared to the PCR-negative group (53.45 ± 34.42 µV vs. 25.15 ± 17.64 µV, P = 0.03). The correlation between PCR-positive result in COVID-19 and TWA value was significant, after adjustment of other confounding variables (R² = 0.081, P = 0.030). There was no significant difference in TWA levels between mild and moderate severity subgroups in patients with COVID-19, both during admission (44.29 ± 27.14 µV vs. 36.75 ± 24.46 µV, P = 0.34) and discharge (49.47 ± 33.62 µV vs. 61.09 ± 35.99 µV, P = 0.33).

Conclusions: Higher TWA values can be observed on follow-up ECG obtained during discharge in the PCR-positive COVID-19 patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cardiac repolarization; ECG device; T-wave alternans.