Abstract / Summary
BackgroundAcute myocardial infarction is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly due to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.QT dispersion (QTd), reflecting heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization, may provide useful information regarding ventricular electrical instability in patients with acute myocardial infarction.This study assessed QT dispersion and evaluated its association with clinical characteristics, ventricular arrhythmias, and in-hospital outcome. MethodologyThis prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital from June 2025 to June 2026.A total of 100 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction were enrolled after obtaining written informed consent and Institutional Ethics Committee approval.A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded at presentation, and QTd was calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum QT intervals.A QTd value >42 ms was considered abnormal.Associations between QTd and clinical characteristics, ventricular arrhythmias, and in-hospital outcome were evaluated using chi-square and independent-samples t-tests, as appropriate. ResultsThe study included 100 patients.The mean QTd was 80.71 ± 18.2 ms, with QTd >42 ms observed in 88 (88.0%) patients.Ventricular arrhythmias occurred in 30 (30.0%) patients, and mean QTd was significantly higher among patients with ventricular arrhythmias than among those without (94.9± 17.5 vs. 70.4± 9.82 ms; p < 0.001).Ventricular premature contractions were observed in 20 (20.0%) patients, while ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation occurred in 5 (5.0%) patients each.Patients who died during hospitalization had significantly higher mean QTd than survivors (121.0 ± 22.0 vs. 70.64 ± 9.82 ms; p < 0.001). ConclusionsIncreased QTd was frequently observed in patients with acute myocardial infarction and was significantly associated with ventricular arrhythmias and in-hospital mortality.These findings represent associations and should not be interpreted as evidence of independent prognostic prediction or causality.Larger multicenter studies with standardized ECG assessment and appropriate adjustment for potential confounders are warranted to determine the independent prognostic significance of QTd in acute myocardial infarction.