Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Africa STEMI Abstracts (April 2018)

9 / 16

CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Africa STEMI Abstracts, April 2018 AFRICA 7
Presenting Author
Name: John
Surname: Kellett
Email
Contact Number +353877872060
Article
English Title
ECG changes in acutely ill medical patients admitted to a resource poor hospital in Uganda
Category
Acute Coronary Syndromes
English Abstract
Background: few studies report the prevalence of ECG changes in acutely ill medical patients in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: between August 10th 2016 and February 1st 2017 598 acutely ill medical patients were admitted and remained
in the hospital for more than 24 hours: 430 (70%) of these patients (mean age 47.1 SD 22.4 years) had a 12 lead ECG
performed within 24 hours of admission using a LevMed reusable ECG belt; 28 of them died in hospital (6.5%).
Results: 136 (31.6%) patients had one or more ECG abnormality: 13.3% had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 10.5% ST
depression, 4.0% left bundle branch block (LBBB), 3.3% Q waves, 1.2% right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), 0.9% atrial
fibrillation, and 0.7% right bundle branch block (RBBB). Patients with abnormal ECGs were older (51.1 SD 22.5 versus
45.2 SD 22.2 years, p 0.01) and sicker with a higher National Early Warning Score (4.4 SD 3.1 versus 3.8 SD 3.0, p 0.03).
LVH was associated with higher systolic blood pressure; ST depression with lower oxygen saturations; LBBB with older age
and higher systolic blood pressure; Q waves with lower oxygen saturation and increased respiratory rate, and atrial fibrilla-
tion with older age and a faster heart rate.
Conclusion: nearly a third of acutely ill patients had an abnormal ECG, suggesting they had cardiac disease prior to their
acute illness. These patients were older and more severely ill. LVH and ST depression were the commonest abnormalities.
These initial findings suggest that there may be higher burden of cardiovascular disease than what has been previously
thought in rural areas of Uganda and possibly other countries in the Sub Saharan region. Further studies are needed to
confirm these findings in the general population.
Authors
Name &
Surname
Title Expertise Affiliation Email Country
Martin Opio MMed
Consultant
Physician Kitovu Hospital Uganda
Teopista
Namujwiga
Ms. Enrolled
Nurse
Kitovu Hospital Uganda
Immaculate
Nakitende Ms.
Enrolled
Midwife Kitovu Hospital Uganda
John Kellett Dr. Physician Department of Emergency Medicine,
Hospital of South West Jutland
Denmark
Disclosure
I hereby agree that I am authorised to submit this abstract on behalf of all the authors and I agree that the copyright of the
above mentioned abstract, shall reside with the Cardiovascular Journal of Africa (Clinics Cardive Publishing (Pty) Ltd.) and
there is no conflict of interest to report.