DYSRHYTHMIC PROFILE OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTED PATIENTS

We prospectively studied, with 24-h Holter monitoring, 21 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients, at all stages of the infection, in order to assess their dysrhythmic profile. Three (1 4.3%) patients presented one isolated run of supraventricular tachycar dia, with < 10 beats, that was considered clinically irrelevant, No pa tient presented other clinically relevant supraventricular or ventricu lar tachy or bradydysrhythmias. One (4.8%) patient presented intermitt ent Mobitz type I second-degree AV block, two (9.5%) patients paroxist ic 2:1 AV block and one (4.8%) patient presented a bifascicular block on the 12-lead ECG that persisted during the ambulatory recording. Thi s study suggests that clinically relevant cardiac tachydysrhythimias a re rare in our population of HIV infected patients. On the other hand we found an unexpectedly high incidence of cardiac impulse conduction disturbances.