The Role of Electrocardiograms in Risk Stratification and Analysis of the Characteristics of ST Elevation in Acute Myocarditis: a 2-centre Study

Acute myocarditis is a severe disease with high mortality rate and various dynamic changes visible on electrocardiograms (ECGs). The aim were to investigate ECG findings in acute myocarditis, ECG findings associated with fulminant myocarditis (FM), and the characteristics of ST elevation at admission. A retrospective analysis of 1814 ECGs was conducted from 274 consecutive patients with acute myocarditis aged ≥13 years, who were hospitalized in two centres between August 2007 and November 2019. All ECG obtained during the hospital course were evaluated by 2 electrophysiologists. A chi-square test was used to evaluate and compare the abnormal ECG findings between the FM and non-FM groups, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to further evaluate ECG findings associated with FM. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the duration of cardiac symptoms before admission for ST elevation at admission.

Inclusion criteria

• clinical diagnosis of Acute myocarditis

• complete data of ECG

Exclusion criteria

• Incomplete data;

• a history of congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias;

• myocarditis not being the primary diagnosis for a particular admission;

• absence of cardiac symptoms.