Electrocardiographic Q-waves as a predictor of mortality in patients with cerebral infarction.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether abnormal EKG findings could be predictive factors for death after a stroke event.


METHODS
Patients with acute cerebral infarction who were 35 to 98 years old during April 1996 through November 2000 were analyzed (n = 216). A standard 12-lead EKG was recorded for each patient after acute cerebral infarction. The authors prospectively investigated the association between abnormal EKG findings and the risk for death after stroke over a 1-year period.


RESULTS
Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, the authors found age (hazard ratio of mortality per year 1.10, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.15, p < 0.001), sex (female; hazard ratio of mortality 3.42, 95% CI 1.43 to 8.19, p = 0.006), and the presence of Q-waves in more than two leads (hazard ratio of mortality 2.75, 95% CI 1.23 to 6.14, p = 0.013) were independently associated with death after stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of Q-waves in more than two leads could be a predictive factor for death after acute cerebral infarction.
Tanaka
M
M
Department of Cardiology, Ishikiriseiki Hospital, Osaka, Japan. masa-t@msic.med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
Nakayama
Y
Y
Maeda
Y
Y
Nishioka
T
T
Shirakawa
M
M
Tsumura
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016019:Survival Analysis