Changes in electrocardiographic findings after closed thoracostomy in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.
- Author:
Wonjae LEE
1
;
Yoonje LEE
;
Changsun KIM
;
Hyuk Joong CHOI
;
Bossng KANG
;
Tae Ho LIM
;
Jaehoon OH
;
Hyunggoo KANG
;
Junghun SHIN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Electrocardiography; Pneumothorax; Tension pneumothorax
- MeSH: Electrocardiography*; Emergency Service, Hospital; Hospitals, Urban; Humans; Pneumothorax*; Retrospective Studies; Thoracostomy*
- From: Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine 2017;4(1):38-47
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe electrocardiographic (ECG) findings in spontaneous pneumothorax patients before and after closed thoracostomy. METHODS: This is a retrospective study which included patients with spontaneous pneumothorax who presented to an emergency department of a tertiary urban hospital from February 2005 to March 2015. The primary outcome was a difference in ECG findings between before and after closed thoracostomy. We specifically investigated the following ECG elements: PR, QRS, QTc, axis, ST segments, and R waves in each lead. The secondary outcomes were change in ST segment in any lead and change in axis after closed thoracostomy. RESULTS: There were two ECG elements which showed statistically significant difference after thoracostomy. With right pneumothorax volume of greater than 80%, QTc and the R waves in aVF and V5 significantly changed after thoracostomy. With left pneumothorax volume between 31% and 80%, the ST segment in V2 and the R wave in V1 significantly changed after thoracostomy. However, majority of ECG elements did not show statistically significant alteration after thoracostomy. CONCLUSION: We found only minor changes in ECG after closed thoracostomy in spontaneous pneumothorax patients.
