• Rikke Hansen, Martin Frydland, Ole Kristian Møller-Helgestad, Matias Greve Lindholm, Lisette Okkels Jensen, Lene Holmvang, Hanne Berg Ravn, Jesper Kjærgaard, Christian Hassager, and Jacob Eifer Møller.
• Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr Boulevard 29, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
• Int. J. Cardiol. 2017 Dec 15; 249: 55-60.

BackgroundQRS duration has previously shown association with mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolytics, less is known in patients with suspected ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) when assessing QRS duration on prehospital ECG. Thus, the objective was to investigate the prognostic effect of QRS duration on prehospital ECG and presence of classic left and right bundle branch block (LBBB/RBBB) for all-cause mortality in patients with suspected STEMI.MethodIn total 2105 consecutive patients (mean age 64±13years, 72% men) with suspected STEMI were prospectively included. QRS duration was registered from automated QRS measurement on prehospital ECG and patients were divided according to quartiles of QRS duration (<89ms, 89-98ms, 99-111ms and >111ms). Primary endpoint was all-cause 30-day mortality. Predictors of all-cause mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazards analysis.ResultsAmong all patients median QRS duration was 98ms (IQR 88-112ms). RBBB-morphology was seen in 126 patients (6.0%) and LBBB in 88 patients (4.2%), 80% were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and the final diagnosis was STEMI in 1777 patients (84%). Thirty-day mortality was 7.6% in patients with suspected STEMI. In multivariable analysis, QRS duration>111ms (hazard ratio (HR) 3.08; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.71-5.57, p=0.0002), LBBB - morphology (HR 3.0; 95% CI: 1.38-6.53, p=0.006) and RBBB (HR 3.68; 95% CI: 1.95-6.95, p<0.0001) were associated with 30 day all-cause mortality.ConclusionIn patients with suspected STEMI, QRS prolongation, LBBB, and RBBB on prehospital ECG are associated with increased risk of death.Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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