title: QT interval as a marker of venous reactivity in dialysis patients.
abstract: Fourteen patients (7 females and 7 males, mean age 51.9 +/- 11.6 years) were studied to find out whether there is a connection between the QTc interval (a diagnostic tool for evaluating autonomic neuropathy) and venous reactivity in uremics on chronic hemodialysis. The QT interval was measured using standard lead II as reference, corrected for heart rate, and designed QTc. Venous reactivity was measured by the so-called venoconstriction test. Pressure changes inside the vein were obtained by injection of 2 micrograms of noradrenaline, and expressed in venoconstrictive units (VCU). The mean QTc was 445.7 +/- 36.9 ms. The mean venous tone response was 2130.9 +/- 1435.5 VCU. There was a significant correlation between the QTc interval and venous reactivity to catecholamine (r = 0.565, P = 0.03). It is concluded that the QTc interval may be used as a marker of venous tone reactivity, suitable for everyday clinical practice. Furthermore, the magnitude of this reactivity possibly represents either the end-organ or peripheral sympathetic impairment.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, Split University Hospital, Croatia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ljutić
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sardelić
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bagatin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pivac
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rumboldt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D009638:Norepinephrine