Predictive role of fragmented QRS in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Objective: Fragmented QRS (fQRS), as defined by additional spikes in the QRS complex of a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), is a marker of scarred myocardium. In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), fQRS is a predictor of heart failure (HF) and other major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The study was aimed to evaluate the role of fQRS in prediction of HF in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: In a prospective, non-randomized, small observational study, we enrolled 188 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of fQRS and their in-hospital, 1 and 6-month MACE outcomes were assessed. Results: Of the 188 patients, fQRS were noted in 92 (48.94%) patients. Patients with fQRS were more likely to have Killip class II/III/IV. Patients with fQRS had a significantly higher corrected QT interval, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and higher N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) at 24 hours and 48 hours compared to patients without fQRS. The in-hospital (P=0.001), 30-day (P=0.03) and 6-month (p=0.01) MACE were higher in patients with fQRS. On logistic multiple analysis, fQRS in anterior leads (OR=3.70, CI=1.68-10.02, p=0.001), fQRS in more than 2 leads (OR=5.20, CI=1.51-12.83, p=0.01), NT-proBNP (OR=1.05, CI=1.03-1.08, p=0.02) and Killip class II/III/IV were found to be significant predictors for HF hospitalization. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that fQRS can be a predictor for HF in patients with STEMI and provide a simple and readily available technique for predicting prognosis. Larger studies are required to validate these findings.