Importance of ECG findings in COVID-19 patients: Predictor of in-hospital prognosis

Predictors of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality were determined using univariate analysis and a logistic regression model. According to another paper of 265 patients presenting to the emergency departments of French hospitals, the presence of axis deviation and left bundle branch block on initial ECG were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality6. Other clinical and electrocardiographic variables mentioned as prognostic markers of mortality in relatively small sample-size studies were male sex, higher age, diabetes mellitus, low QRS voltage criteria, QRS and QT prolongation, presence of PVC or PACs, pulmonale P wave, QT dispersion, left ventricular hypertrophy, RBBB, and heart rate above 100 beat/min8-11. Data consisted of patients' demographics, comorbidities (including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic heart failure, ischemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease), social history (cigarette smoking or addiction), initial vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and body temperature) and duration of hospital stay were extracted from medical records.