10 The QTc interval in former very preterm infants is not different from term-born controls

Introduction There are conflicting data on whether former preterm birth is associated with QTc-Bazett prolongation in later life. Methods To explore QTc-Bazett interval differences between former preterm and/or extreme low birth weight (ELBW) cases and term-born controls in adolescence and young adulthood, we analyzed pooled individual data after a structured search on published cohorts. To test the absence of a QTc-Bazett difference, a non-inferiority approach was applied (one-sided, upper limit of the 95% CI mean QTc-Bazett difference, 5 and 10 ms). We also investigated the impact of characteristics on QTc-Bazett . Results The pooled dataset contained 164 preterms and/or ELBW (cases) and 140 controls from 3 studies. The median QTc-Bazett intervals were 409 (335–490) and 410 (318–480) ms in cases and controls. The mean QTc-Bazett difference was 1 ms, upper CI 95% of 6 ms (p=0.1015 and 0.0019 for 5 and 10 ms respectively). In the full dataset, females had a significantly longer QTc-Bazett than males (415 vs. 401 ms, p<0.0001), and there was a significant, but weak correlation (Spearman's 0.151, p=0.0377) between QTc-Bazett and plasma phosphate. Conclusions QTc-Bazett intervals are not significantly different between former preterm and/or ELBW cases and term-born controls, and we rejected a potential prolongation >10 ms in cases. When prescribing QTc prolonging drugs, pharmacovigilance practices in this subpopulation should be similar to the general public.