P-Wave Dispersion and Atrial Electromechanical Delay in Patients with Preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the duration of atrial electromechanical delay (EMD) and left atrial mechanical function in patients with preeclampsia.


METHODS
This study included 26 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 24 age-matched pregnant women without preeclampsia (control group). Atrial electromechanical coupling (PA) and intra-atrial and interatrial EMD were measured using tissue Doppler echocardiography. P-wave dispersion (PWD) was measured via 12-lead electrocardiography. All data were analyzed using SPSS v.15.0 for Windows (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA). Differences in continuous variables between groups were examined using a nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman's coefficient of correlation. Categorical values were compared using a χ2 test.


RESULTS
PA lateral and PA septal durations were significantly longer in the preeclampsia group than in the control group [74.6 ± 8.1 vs. 62.3 ± 5.3 ms (p < 0.001) and 59.7 ± 5.3 vs. 56.2 ± 4.9 ms (p = 0.005), respectively]. The duration of interatrial EMD and intra-atrial EMD in the preeclampsia group was significantly longer than in the control group [25.4 ± 4.6 vs. 13.2 ± 3.9 ms (p < 0.001) and 10.5 ± 1.9 vs. 7.1 ± 1.2 ms (p < 0.001), respectively]. PWD was significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia (43.1 ± 9.1 ms) than in the controls (37.6 ± 7.9 ms; p = 0.008). There was a significant correlation between PWD and interatrial EMD and intra-atrial EMD [r = 0.46 (p < 0.001) and r = 0.39 (p < 0.001), respectively].


CONCLUSIONS
The duration of atrial EMD and PWD was prolonged in patients with preeclampsia.
Department of Cardiology, Aksaray State Hospital, Aksaray, Turkey.
Sinan
S
İnci
Gökay
G
Nar
Gökhan
G
Aksan
Haydar
H
Sipahioğlu
Korhan
K
Soylu
Ali
A
Dogan
D000328:Adult; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy