Frequency of supraventricular arrhythmias in COVID-19 patients: A single-center study

Abstract

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias had a significant association with the increased mortality rate in COVID-19 patients in hospitals. The present study aimed to evaluate the frequency of supraventricular arrhythmias in COVID-19 patients and to assess the echocardiographic parameters and inflammatory biomarkers in COVID-19 patients who developed supraventricular arrhythmias. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 196 patients, 33 of them developed supraventricular arrhythmias during hospitalization in Zagazig University isolation hospital. Results: There was a statistically significant association between the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and both oxygen saturation and lymphocyte percentage, which was significantly lower in those with AF. There was a statistically significant association between the occurrence of AF and CORADS, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6, which were significantly higher in those with AF. Younger age and higher oxygen saturation decreased the risk of supraventricular tachycardia among the studied patients. Increasing oxygen saturation decreased the risk of AF among the studied patients, while higher CRP significantly increased risk by 1.045 folds. Conclusions: Atrial arrhythmias, especially with AF considered prevalent in cases with COVID-19. The atrial arrhythmias were correlated with higher cardiac injury and inflammatory markers and elevated severe COVID-19 clinical manifestations. Regarding mortality in-hospital, the association between COVID-19 and atrial arrhythmias was independent.