The corrected Q-T interval in the elderly with urban hypothermia

During winter time in the period from 1993 to 1998 18 elderly patients: II female and 7 male aged 65-88 years, were treated because of hypothermia. Re ctal temperature on admission was 20-34.5 degrees C. Ten patients suffered from moderate hypothermia (35-32 degrees C), and eight suffered of severe h ypothermia (< 32 degrees C). Arterial hypotension was recorded in. 7, and s hock in II patients. In all of them, and in 18 controls, an electrocardiogr am was analyzed with the special reference to the corrected Q-T interval. D ecompensated metabolic acidosis was observed in 7/8 patients with severe hy pothermia and in 4/10 with moderate hypothermia. Among patients with modera te hypothermia, sinus tachycardia was present in 2, sinus bradycardia in 2, idioventricular rhythm in 2 and atrial fibrillation in 4/10 patients. In p atients with severe hypothermia, sinus tachycardia was present in 2, sinus bradycardia in 3 idioventricular rhythm in, one, and atrial fibrillation in 2/8 patients. In moderate hypothermia Osborn's or Tomaszewski's J Leave wa s present in 7/10 and it only appeared in 3/10 patients; in severe hypother mia it was present in 6/8 and only appeared in 2/8 patients. The corrected Q-T interval in the group with hypothermia ranged 0.450-0.688 s, in the con trol group 0.343-0.444 s. The X minimum (s) in the group with hypothermia w as 0.508+/-0.079, in the control group it was 0.371-0-139 s, and the differ ence was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The X maximum (s) in the gr oup with hypothermia was 0.576+/-0.067 s, in the control group 0.390+/-0.01 9 s, and the difference was also statistically significant (p < 0.0001). In both groups the most significant prolongation of the corrected Q-T interva l in the majority of patients was found in anteroseptal leads. The dispersi on of the corrected Q-T interval in the group with hypothermia teas 87.19+/ -28.44 ms, in the control group it was 32.06+/-8.94 ms, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001).