title: Prevalence of QTc interval changes in acute psychiatric care: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In a case series we examined the prevalence and incidence of QT changes during a 1-week interval in hospitalized patients in a general psychiatry ward during a 6-month period.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was done on electrocardiographic QT interval of patients admitted to the Psychiatric Department of Taleghani Hospital during a 6-month period excluding subjects with underlying cause of QT prolongation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Admission and follow-up electrocardiograms of 27 men and 47 women were studied, there was significant QT prolongation during hospitalization (P value 0.001) in approximately 30% of subjects, irrespective of type of administered medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pro-arrhythmic changes as reflected in QTc prolongation and QTc dispersion in electrocardiograms are common in patients admitted in psychiatric wards irrespective of type of therapy and should be screened and followed by serial electrocardiograms to minimize untoward cardiac outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beyraghi
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rajabi
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hajsheikholeslami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007297:Inpatients; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs