The prognostic significance of the 12-lead ECG in peripartum cardiomyopathy

Pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of peripartum cardiomyopathy: a position statement from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on peripartum cardiomyopathy

“…Left bundle branch block may be an indirect sign for cardiomyopathy and structural heart disease should be ruled out in these women . A recent study identified a long QTc interval at baseline which was found in almost 50% of the patients, and tachycardia as predictors of poor outcome in PPCM …”

A Systematic Review of the Spectrum of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…For example, a congenital long QT series of 41 patients in South Africa had Blacks (0%), Whites (87.8%), mixed race (9.8%), and Indian (2.5%) [74], and one other study still in South Africa did not mention ethnicity [88]. Acquired long-QT syndrome in heart failure cohorts has been associated with excess mortality [89,90]. In patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy, prolonged corrected non-congenital QT interval and sinus tachycardia on baseline ECG were independent predictors of poor composite outcome which included death during follow-up [90].…”

“…Acquired long-QT syndrome in heart failure cohorts has been associated with excess mortality [89,90]. In patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy, prolonged corrected non-congenital QT interval and sinus tachycardia on baseline ECG were independent predictors of poor composite outcome which included death during follow-up [90]. Cardiomyopathies [58,61] Hypertensive heart disease [58,62,67] Coronary artery disease [58,59,61,64,69] Rheumatic heart disease [61,69] Congenital heart disease [96] Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy [76,77] Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy [74,75] Brugada syndrome [78,79] Congenital Long QT syndrome (seen only in non-Black populations) [74,88,101] Ventricular non-compaction [84] Pulmonary embolism [62,91] Endomyocardial fibrosis [95] Pulmonary hypertension [61] Pericarditis (mainly tuberculous) [92] Aortic dissection/rupture [64] Endemic parasitic infections like trypanosomiasis & schistosomiasis [9,59,93] Sarcoidosis [102][103][104] Respiratory disease [58,62,64] Septicemia…”

“…This review identified underlying etiologies of SCA/SCD and ventricular arrhythmias in SSA, with hypertensive heart disease, coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, and valvular heart disease, especially rheumatic heart disease being the most common causes of SCA/SCD among adults [61,64,67,69,[71][72][73]90]. Others include malignant arrhythmogenic inherited diseases [74-81, 84-88, 102-104], pericarditis [92], endemic parasitic infections [9,93], pulmonary embolism [62,91], endomyocardial fibrosis [95], congenital heart disease [96], pulmonary embolism [62,91], pulmonary hypertension [61], and aortic dissection/rupture [64].…”

Left bundle branch block and peripartum cardiomyopathy – review on recent evidence

“…In Hoevelmann's recent study a prolonged QTc and sinus tachycardia at baseline were independent predictors of poor outcome in a cohort of 66 patients with PPCM at 6 months and 1 year respectively [14] .…”