Background: Our study aimed to examine the possible risk of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death by calculating the electrocardiographic changes and indicators of ventricular repolarization during and after alcohol withdrawal.
Methods: One hundred participants who were identified with alcohol withdrawal and who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Data were collected between July 2020 and August 2020. The distance interval between Q and T waves, corrected distance interval between Q and T waves, T peak/distance interval between Q and T waves, and T peak/corrected distance interval between Q and T waves interval ratios ratios were measured in 12-lead electrocardiographic measurements during the withdrawal period and after withdrawal symptoms subsided in patients with a Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised score >7 and a Framingham heart risk score <10%.
Results: There was a significant difference between the patient’s heart rate, distance interval between Q and T waves, corrected distance interval between Q and T waves interval, and T peak/distance interval between Q and T waves values during withdrawal (input) and after alcohol withdrawal (output) (P < .05). The mean corrected distance interval between Q and T waves interval input value (433.63 ± 17.79) is significantly different and higher than the output value of the mean corrected distance interval between Q and T waves (420.67 ± 13.78) (P < .05). Similarly, the mean T peak input value (81.36 ± 5.90) is significantly different and higher than the mean T peak output value (79.94 ± 5.39) (P < .05) and the mean T peak/input value of the distance interval between Q and T waves (0.222 ± 0.00) than the mean T peak / output value of the distance interval between Q and T waves (0.214 ± 0.00) (P < .001).
Conclusion: These consequences suggest the risk for an accelerated hazard of ventricular arrhythmias in participants with alcohol withdrawal. Significantly, considering the improvement of the electrocardiographic changes of the patients after terminating alcohol intake, a possible cardiac arrhythmia may be more common during this period. Close monitoring of electrocardiograms and timely withdrawal treatment can prevent life-threatening arrhythmias in alcohol withdrawal patients.
Cite this article as: İzci F, Ünübol B, İzci S. Electrocardiographic changes during and after alcohol withdrawal. Psychiatry Clin Psychopharmacol. 2023;33(4):280-286.