title: Electrocardiographic changes in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities in subjects with spontaneous pneumothorax. Forty consecutive patients (mean age 43.7 +/-19.1 years) with spontaneous pneumothorax participated in the study. There were 22 cases of left-sided and 18 cases of right-sided pneumothorax. The mean relative volume of pneumothorax was 51.4 +/-24.7% according to the Light's index and 53.5 +/-22.9% according to the Rhea method. Heart rate was significantly higher in patients with pneumothorax than after lung re-expansion (91 +/-20 bpm vs. 72 +/-16 bpm; P<0.001). Abnormal left axis deviation was found in 3 patients with left-sided and in 1 with right-sided pneumothorax, while abnormal right axis deviation was found in 2 patients with left-sided pneumothorax. Relevant QRS abnormalities (incomplete RBBB and T-wave inversion) were found in 4 patients (10%). QRS amplitude in V2-V6 leads was significantly decreased in left-sided pneumothorax, while the right-sided pneumothorax was associated with an increase in QRS amplitude in V5-V6. We conclude that ECG in subjects with pneumothorax often reveals significant abnormalities. The most significant abnormalities were seen in patients with massive right-sided pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Pneumology and Allergology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland. rafalkrenke@interia.pl
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krenke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nasilowski
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Przybylowski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chazan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008151:Lown-Ganong-Levine Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult