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STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of changing volume status on P-wave duration and dispersion in patients with decompensated heart failure. DESIGN: Prospective analysis. SETTING: Hospital cardiology unit. PATIENTS: Twenty-one patients with symptoms of decompensated heart failure who were treated with diuretics on admission. INTERVENTION: Twelve-lead electrocardiograms were obtained at baseline and after diuresis. Average, minimum, and maximum P-wave duration and P-wave dispersion (minimum minus maximum duration) were determined. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: P-wave duration was measured manually in all 12 leads by using a 0.5-mm-scale precision ruler and magnifying lens. After 40+/-23 hours of diuresis, 3+/-1 L of fluid was removed. A significant correlation was found between average P-wave duration and amount of fluid removed (r = -0.59, p=0.015). Also, average and maximum P-wave duration were significantly decreased with diuresis (p=0.001 and 0.022, respectively). No other P-wave variables were significantly affected. CONCLUSIONS: Diuresis may attenuate electrophysiologic changes caused by fluid overload.
Song et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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