Volume : VIII, Issue : I, January - 2019

To Study QRS complex fragmentation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Dr. Arun Dua, Dr. Hemant Sharma

Abstract :

 

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology affecting approximately 0.5–1% of the adult population worldwide. It is the most common form of chronic inflammatory arthritis and often results in joint damage and physical disability. Recently, there has been a lot of interest in QRS fragmentation as a screening tool in systemic diseases with Cardiac involvement.

Aims and objectives: 1. To study the prevalence of fragmented QRS complex in Rheumatoid Arthritis and it’s correlation with demographic variables of Age, Sex and duration of disease. 2. To study correlation of fragmented QRS complex with RA factor and markers of inflammation, that is, ESR and CRP in rheumatoid arthritis. 3. To study correlation of fragmented QRS complex with echocardiographic findings in rheumatoid arthritis.

Materials and Methods: A cross–sectional study was undertaken at Rheumatology clinic in the department of Medicine at Hindu Rao Hospital, Delhi in 2017. Inclusion criteria for study group: 1. Patients satisfying 2010 revised ACR (American college of Rheumatology) and EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. 2. No cardiac symptoms or pre–existing heart disease or any abnormal findings on clinical cardiac examination .Exclusion criteria for study group:1.Uncooperative patients. 2. Patients with evidence of bundle anch blocks, wide QRS complex on ECG. 3. Patients detected to be diabetic, hypertensive or smoker. 4. Patients having cardiac symptoms or abnormalities on clinical cardiac auscultation. 5. Patients with other co–morbidities like morbid obesity, anemia, chronic kidney disease, liver disease.

Statistical Methods: All quantitative variables were presented in terms of range (minimum – maximum), mean ± standard deviation and median under each group separately. All the qualitative variables were presented in terms of frequency (percentage).Statistical significance of categorical variables was determined using chi square and Fisher’s exact test. For test of significance between means, t–test and Z– test were applied where relevant. All statistical analysis was done using SPSS 24.0. Level of significance was taken as 0.05.

Results: There was significant correlation between presence of fQRS and high ESR in RA (p value 0.002). There was significant correlation between presence of fQRS and valvular involvement in RA (P value 0.002).There was significant correlation between presence of fQRS and diastolic dysfunction in RA (P value 0.002)

Conclusion: fQRS may be used to select patients with RA who can be further worked up by echocardiography to detect subclinical cardiac involvement and diastolic dysfunction.

Keywords :

Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijsr  

Cite This Article:

TO STUDY QRS COMPLEX FRAGMENTATION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, Dr.Arun Dua, Dr.Hemant Sharma INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH : Volume-8 | Issue-1 | January-2019

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