title: Heart rate variability and QT dispersion study in brain death patients and comatose patients with normal brainstem function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare heart rate variability (HRV) and QT dispersion in comatose patients with normal brainstem function and with brain death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Intensive Care Unit of Ali-Ebn-Abitaleleb Hopital, Rafsanjan Medical University from September 2007 to June 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen brain death patients with clinical signs of imminent brain death and 15 comatose patients were examined by neurologist in intensive care unit. HRV, RR interval and QT dispersion on ECG were assessed for 24 hours in both groups. Independent t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis to determine significance which was set at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to Holter findings, mean of standard deviation of RR-interval in the comatose and brain death groups was 48.33 and 35 respectively (p = 0.045). Mean of covariance coefficient of RR-interval was 0.065 in the comatose group and 0.043 in the brain deaths (p = 0.006). QT dispersion was not significant difference in two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRV and RR-interval analysis appeared as an early finding for the diagnosis of brainstem death in comparison to comatose patients with normal brainstem function. QT dispersion had not significant in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. vakilian_neu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Vakilian
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iranmanesh
authors.forename: Ali Esmaeili
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Nadimi
authors.forename: Jafar Ahmadi
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kahnali
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001926:Brain Death / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003128:Coma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan