Dispersion Durations of P-wave and QT Interval in Children With Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

This study aimed to investigate homogeneity disorders of ventricular repolarization and atrial conduction via QT dispersion and P-wave dispersion in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Three groups of 20 each were generated and involved in this study. The first group included 20 children with both CHD and PAH. The second group consisted of 20 children with CHD but no PAH, and the third group was composed of 20 age- and sex-matched healthy children. Electrocardiographic records were used to determine P-wave, QT, and corrected QT (QTc) dispersions. The pulmonary hypertension group compared with the group having no pulmonary hypertension and the control group showed a significantly longer P-wave dispersion duration (39.10 ± 9.54 vs. 26.30 ± 4.99 ms, p < 0.001; and 24.80 ± 6.94 ms, p < 0.001, respectively) and QT dispersion duration (52.80 ± 15.11 vs. 37.60 ± 6.00 ms, p < 0.001; and 35.00 ± 7.77 ms, p < 0.001, respectively). In addition, the durations of maximum QTc and QTc dispersion were significantly longer in pulmonary hypertension group than in the other two groups. The risk of atrial and ventricular arrhythmia was found to be increased in the patients with both CHD and PAH. Physicians should pay close attention to possible atrial and ventricular arrhythmias during the treatment and follow-up evaluation of these patients.