title: T-wave inversion in patients with acute pulmonary embolism: prognostic value.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  T-wave inversion (TWI) is a common ECG finding in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of TWI in patients with APE and to describe their relationship to outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 437 patients with APE. TWI patterns were described in two distributions: inferior (II, III, aVF) and precordial (V1-V6).
  
  
  RESULTS
  TWI was observed in 258 (59%) patients. The mortality rate was significantly higher in the group with TWI in the inferior AND precordial leads compared to the group without TWI (OR: 2.74; p = 0.024) and the group with TWI in the inferior OR precordial leads (OR: 2.43; p = 0.035). As compared those with TWI in <5 leads, patients with TWI in ≥5 leads experienced significantly higher rates of death (17.1% vs. 6.6%, OR: 2.92; p = 0.002) and complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TWI and the quantitative assessment thereof can be useful to risk stratify patients with APE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Specialistic Hospital, Gorlice, Poland. Electronic address: kukla_piotr@poczta.onet.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kukla
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Wiliam F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Cracow University of Economics, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fijorek
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nowy Targ, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Długopolski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dietl's Hospital, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mirek-Bryniarska
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Dietl's Hospital, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bryniarski
authors.affiliation: First Department of Cardiology, Interventional Electrocardiology and Hypertension, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jastrzębski
authors.affiliation: First Department of Cardiology, Interventional Electrocardiology and Hypertension, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bryniarski
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baranchuk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D053840:Brugada Syndrome; D000075224:Cardiac Conduction System Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Acute pulmonary embolism; ECG; Emergency medicine; Prognosis; Risk stratification