QT Dispersion and
Electrical Heart Field Morphology in Patients Treated with
Dosulepin
O. KITTNAR, I. PACLT1, M. MLČEK, J. SLAVÍČEK, A.
DOHNALOVÁ, Š. HAVRÁNEK,
E. BRIZMAN, E. KITZLEROVÁ1, K. PIŠVEJCOVÁ1
Institute of Physiology, 1Department of Psychiatry‚ First
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague and General
Teaching Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
Received February 11 2003
Accepted October 24, 2003
Summary
The aim of the study was to detect the changes of QT dispersion
(QTd) due to cardiotoxicity of tricyclic antidepressant
dosulepin. Electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic
recordings were obtained using Cardiag 112.2 diagnostic system
from 28 psychiatric outpatients treated with prophylactic doses
of dosulepin and compared to those obtained from 37 healthy
volunteers. From these recordings following parameters were
evaluated: QTd, spatial QRS-STT angle and amplitude of T-wave.
The acquired data were correlated with the dosulepin plasma
levels using Spearman´s rank order correlation test. The average
QTd (±S.D.) in the dosulepin group was significantly higher
(70±21 ms) than that in the control group (34±12 ms) (P<0.001).
Moreover, the correlation between QTd and the dosulepin plasma
levels was highly significant (r = 0.7871, P<0.001). Similar
results were obtained when QTc dispersion was used. On the
contrary, the QRS-STT space angle did not correlate with the
dosulepin plasma levels. Furthermore, the T-wave amplitude was
not significantly correlated to the QT-interval. Thus we can
conclude that the QT dispersion could be used as a simple marker
of the dosulepin effect on the myocardium.
Key words
QT dispersion • Electrocardigraphy • Body surface potential
mapping • Dosulepin • Tricyclic antidepressants
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