title: Assessment of the relationship between a narrow fragmented QRS complex and coronary slow flow.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The coronary slow flow (CSF) phenomenon is a delayed antegrade progression of contrast agent to the distal branch of a coronary artery in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). A narrow fragmented QRS (fQRS) has been reported as a significant predictor of sudden cardiac death in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between a narrow fQRS on the admission electrocardiogram (ECG) and CSF on coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 165 consecutive patients (112 CSF, 53 controls) who underwent first-time diagnostic conventional coronary angiography for suspected CAD. Coronary flow was quantified by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (TFC). The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of a narrow fQRS complex on the admission ECG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty four patients were in the fQRS group (mean age, 52.97 ± 3.13 years). There was no difference between the two groups with respect to age, gender, body mass index, family history, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus. The extent of CSF was significantly greater in the fQRS group compared to the non-fragmented group (p < 0.001). A significant correlation was also found between mean TFC values and fQRS (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, only CSF (p = 0.03) was a significant independent predictor for narrow fQRS, after adjustment for other parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The narrow fQRS is a simple, inexpensive, and readily available noninvasive ECG parameter that may be a new potential indicator of myocardial damage in patients with CSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Rize Kackar Government Hospital, Rize, Turkey. altugcakmak@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Huseyin Altug
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Cakmak
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.forename: Ali Kemal
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kalkan
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tasbulak
authors.forename: Muhammet Hulusi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Satilmisoglu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054318:No-Reflow Phenomenon / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010343:Patient Admission; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index