Index of Cardiac Electrophysiological Balance in Electrocardiography of Children with Acute Rheumatic Carditis

Aim: In this study, examination of the index of cardiac-electrophysiological balance (iCEB) and of other
risk markers for cardiac arrhythmia in electrocardiography of children with acute rheumatic carditis was
aimed.
Patients and Methods: Forty pediatric patients with acute rheumatic carditis and 40 healthy children
matched in terms of gender and age were retrospectively enrolled in the study between January 2016
and August 2018. Demographic data of all cases were obtained from records. By electrocardiography, P
dispersion (Pd), dispersion durations of QT (QTd) and corrected QT (QTcd), Tpeak-to-end interval (Tpe),
ratios of Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc, and measurements of iCEB and corrected iCEB (iCEBc) were all
compared between the groups. Statistically significant dif ference was accepted as p< 0.05.
Results: In the patient and control groups, mean ages were 11.40±3.48 years and 11.41±3.31 years,
respectively. Both groups had 16 female (40%) and 24 male (60%) children. In the patient group, heart
rate, PR interval, Pd, QTd, QTcd, Tp-e, Tp-e/QT ratio and iCEBc were found to be significantly increased.
Though iCEB level was higher in the patient group, there was no statistically significant difference with
healthy controls.
Conclusion: In children with acute rheumatic carditis, repolarization-depolarization balance may be
impaired. Therefore, in addition to other electrocardiographic risk parameters for arrhythmia, use of
iCEB(c) may also be beneficial. However , further studies on this issue are needed.