Key result
Tisdale score achieves 74% sensitivity but poor specificity for predicting QTc prolongation in hospitalized patients.
Why the study?
The practical usability of risk scores like the Tisdale score for targeted pharmaceutical interventions has not been sufficiently investigated across different medical specialties.
Does the Tisdale score accurately predict QTc prolongation in hospitalized cardiology and gastroenterology patients?
Observational (n=627)
Does the Tisdale score accurately predict QTc prolongation in hospitalized cardiology and gastroenterology patients?
The Tisdale score demonstrated acceptable sensitivity (74%) but low specificity (30%) for predicting QTc prolongation in hospitalized patients, though its utility in gastroenterology was limited by infrequent ECG monitoring.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Low specificity cautions against routine reliance in hospitalized patients; leaves open whether refined thresholds improve prediction in cardiology cohorts.
Background/Objectives: QTc prolongation can result in lethal arrhythmia. Risk scores like the Tisdale score can be used for risk stratification for targeted pharmaceutical interventions. However, the practical usability across different medical specialties has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of this study was to compare relevant risk factors for QTc prolongation and to investigate the use of the Tisdale score in cardiology and gastroenterology patients. Methods: For patients on a cardiology and a gastroenterology ward receiving a weekly pharmaceutical electronic chart review, risk factors for QTc prolongation, QTc-prolonging drugs, and electrocardiograms (ECGs) were retrospectively collected for a four-month period (07-10/2023), and the Tisdale score and its sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results: A total of 627 chart reviews (cases) (335 cardiology, 292 gastroenterology) were performed. The median age was 66 (range 20–94) years, and 39% (245) of patients were female. The presence of established risk factors (hypokalemia, renal impairment, age ≥ 68 years, cardiac diseases) differed significantly between the specialties. A median of 2 (range 0–5) QTc-prolonging drugs were prescribed in both groups. Baseline and follow-up ECG were recorded in 166 (50%) cardiology cases, of which prolonged QTc intervals were detected in 38 (23%) cases. In the 27 (9%) gastroenterology cases with baseline and follow-up ECG, no QTc prolongations were detected. Across both specialties, the Tisdale score achieved a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 30%. Conclusions: The presence of established risk factors for QTc prolongation differed significantly between cardiology and gastroenterology cases. The Tisdale score showed acceptable sensitivity for risk stratification; however, the limited availability of ECGs for gastroenterology cases was a limiting factor.
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Steinbrech et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Hospitalized cardiology and gastroenterology patients (n=627). Tisdale score was evaluated on Sensitivity and specificity of the Tisdale score for QTc prolongation (Sensitivity 74%, Specificity 30%). The Tisdale score achieved a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 30% for predicting QTc prolongation across hospitalized cardiology and gastroenterology patients.
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