Predictive value of the frontal QRS-T angle for a permanent pacemaker requirement in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

S. Turen, E. Yilmaz

Cardiology Department, Health Sciences University, Istanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. selahattinturen@hotmail.com

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• Cardiology

OBJECTIVE: Despite recent advances, the requirement for permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains high. The frontal QRS-T angle (fQRS-Ta) indicates ventricular electrical instability as well as ventricular depolarization and repolarization heterogeneity. The predictive value of fQRS-Ta for the PPM requirement after TAVI is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the predictive value of baseline fQRS-Ta for the requirement of PPM after TAVI.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted at a single tertiary care center. The patients were divided into two groups: those who required a pacemaker (PPM group) and those who did not (No-PPM group). The optimal fQRS-Ta cut-off value for predicting a PPM requirement was determined by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the independent predictors of post-TAVI PPM placement.

RESULTS: Final study population consisted of 184 patients. The mean age of the patients was 79.41 ± 7.88 years, and 61% (n = 113) were women. Twenty-seven patients who required PPM after TAVI were considered as the ‘PPM group’. The baseline frontal QRS and T axes did not differ between the groups, but the fQRS-Ta was significantly higher in the PPM group. ROC analysis performed for the prediction of post-TAVI PPM need, the fQRS-Ta cut-off value was found to be 100.5 with a sensitivity of 74.1% and a specificity of 60.5% [AUC (95% CI): 0.637 (0.520 – 0.755), p: 0.023]. In multivariate analysis, age [HR (95% CI): 1.071 (1.005 – 1.142), p: 0.034] and fQRS-Ta [HR (95% CI): 2.509 (1.084 – 6.399), p: 0.044] were identified as independent risk factors for PPM requirement after TAVI.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that age and baseline fQRS-Ta were independent predictors of PPM requirements after TAVI in patients with aortic stenosis.

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