Assessment of the association between ECG findings and prognosis in patients with COVID-19

Rajabi Moghaddam, Hasan; Motavasel, Najmeh; Azadchehr, Mohammad Javad; Zarei, Fatemeh; Simani, Mehrdad

doi:10.48307/FMSJ.2025.29.6.4

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Volume 29, Issue 6 (Bimonthly 2025)

Feyz Med Sci J 2025, 29(6): 578-586

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Assessment of the association between ECG findings and prognosis in patients with COVID-19

Hasan Rajabi Moghaddam

, Najmeh Motavasel

, Mohammad Javad Azadchehr

, Fatemeh Zarei

, Mehrdad Simani ^*

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. , mehrdadsimani0875@gmail.com

Abstract: (422 Views)

Background and Aim: Although COVID-19 is primarily considered a respiratory disease, cardiovascular complications in affected patients are common and are associated with adverse clinical outcomes such as the need for intensive care and mortality. The electrocardiogram (ECG), as an accessible tool, can be useful in evaluating these complications. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ECG findings and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Methods: In this case-control study, the medical records of 120 patients with COVID-19 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups of 60: the case group (with ECG changes) and the control group (without ECG changes). Demographic data, comorbidities, laboratory markers (including CRP and creatinine), and initial SpO₂ levels were extracted. The primary outcomes of the study included admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) or in-hospital death.
Results: The most common ECG findings were tachyarrhythmias (18.3%) and atrial fibrillation (16.3%), respectively. Significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding age and initial SpO₂ levels (P < 0.05). However, no significant association was found between the presence of ECG changes and the occurrence of adverse clinical outcomes (ICU admission or death) (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the presence of ECG changes alone cannot serve as an independent indicator of predicting adverse clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Nevertheless, performing an ECG is still recommended for the early diagnosis and management of cardiac complications in these patients. Furthermore, older age and hypoxemia (low SpO₂) were identified as significant risk factors for adverse outcomes, highlighting the need for careful monitoring and intervention in this patient group.

Keywords: COVID-19, Electrocardiogram, Cardiovascular disease, Clinical outcome, Prognosis

Full-Text [PDF 419 kb] (40 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: medicine, paraclinic
Received: 2025/10/22 | Revised: 2026/01/7 | Accepted: 2025/12/1 | Published: 2025/12/30

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Rajabi Moghaddam H, Motavasel N, Azadchehr M J, Zarei F, Simani M. Assessment of the association between ECG findings and prognosis in patients with COVID-19. Feyz Med Sci J 2025; 29 (6) :578-586
URL: http://feyz.kaums.ac.ir/article-1-5423-en.html

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