title: Electrocardiographic markers for the early detection of cardiac disease in patients with beta-thalassemia major.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To comparatively evaluate P-wave dispersion (PWD) in patients with beta-thalassemia major (TM) and healthy control subjects for the early prediction of arrhythmia risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one children with beta-TM, aged 4-19 years, and 74 healthy children (control group) underwent routine electrocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography for cardiac evaluation. PWD was calculated as the difference between the maximum and the minimum P-wave duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant difference between study and control groups in peak early (E) mitral inflow velocity and E/late (A) velocity ratio. Maximum P-wave duration and PWD were found to be significantly higher in beta-TM patients than in control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased PWD in our beta-TM patients might be related to depression of intra-atrial conduction due to atrial dilatation and increased sympathetic activity. These patients should be closely followed up for risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. kemalnisli@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nisli
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taner
authors.forename: Oner
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Naci
authors.forename: Salcioglu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zafer
authors.forename: Karakas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeynep
authors.forename: Dindar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Aydogan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Umrah
authors.forename: Eker
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rukiye
authors.forename: Ertugrul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turkan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology