Changes in cardiohemodynamics and cardiac arrhythmias in patients after coronavirus infection

Abstract

Aim: To study cardiac arrhythmias and morpho-functional changes in patients in 3 months after a coronavirus infection.Material and methods. 96 patients, mean age 36 years, treated for coronavirus infection, after 3 months underwent Echo and Holter ECG monitoring. Patients were divided into groups depending on the degree of lung tissue damage according to computed tomography (CT): 1st 27 patients CT0, 2nd 39 patients CT1-2, 3rd 30 patients CT3-4; 22 patients control group. Statistics: considering the distribution of features different from normal, nonparametric methods of hypothesis testing were used.Results. In patients recovered from coronavirus infection a violation of heart rhythm conduction was established after 3 months. An increase in the activity of the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system (LF/HF) was found: in patients of group 2, the median value was – 5.9, in group 3 – 6.0; in addition, the global longitudinal systolic strain of the left ventricle decreased (–17.7 and –17.2, respectively). In patients with CT3–4, systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery increased (37.0 mmHg), the size of the left atrium increased, and segmental systolic LV strain decreased in comparison with the studied groups (p < 0.001). Correlations between left ventricular dysfunction and heart rate variability disorders, as well as prolongation of the QT interval (p < 0.001) were established.Conclusion. Cardiac arrhythmias were detected in patients in 3 months after the coronavirus infection. In patients with moderate and severe disease, the activity of the autonomic nervous system also increases, the global systolic strain of the left ventricle decreases. In addition, patients with CT3-4 increased systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery, increased the size of the left atrium, decreased segmental systolic strain of the left ventricle.