Objective: Few data are available on sinus tachycardia among medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We investigated new critical illnesses related to new-onset prolonged sinus tachycardia (NOPST) and the relationship of NOPST with ICU mortality.
Methods: The heart rate (HR) of all enrolled patients was monitored hourly over a 12-month period, and NOPST was defined as sinus tachycardia (>100 beats/min) with an increase in HR of more than 20% from the baseline value lasting longer than 6 hours.
Results: Among the 522 patients enrolled, the average mean HR was 96.1 ± 18.4 beats/min. Fifty-two (10.0%) patients met the criteria for NOPST; pneumonia, delirium, septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, catheter-related infections, and mechanical ventilator-related problems were related to the occurrence of NOPST. The ICU mortality rate in patients with a NOPST duration of more than 72 hours was higher compared with other patients with NOPST (60.0% vs 18.5%; P = .002). A high daily mean HR rather than NOPST was a significant predictor of ICU mortality (odds ratio, 1.415; 95% confidence interval, 1.177-1.700).
Conclusions: Although NOPST was not associated with ICU mortality, it indicates the presence of new critical events in the medical ICU setting.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.