BACKGROUND/AIMS

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder, which leads to iron deficiency anemia (IDA) if left untreated. IDA can present in various forms with the involvement of multiple systems, varying from arrhythmia to left ventricular dysfunction and even heart failure in cardiological terms. Nowadays, electrocardiography (ECG) is the most accessible and valuable method of diagnosing rhythm and conduction disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ECG parameters, such as QT, QTc, QT dispersion, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QTc ratio used in the diagnosing malignant ventricular arrhythmias, of children before and after IDA treatment.

MATERIAL and METHODS

This study included 30 children with no cardiac or chronic disease and was conducted between December 2017 and June 2018. All the children were diagnosed with IDA and treated in the Pediatrics Outpatient Clinics of Gaziantep University Medical Faculty. Pre- and post-treatment QT, QTc, Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QTc ratio, and QT dispersion values of the patients were compared.

RESULTS

Post-treatment values of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, Ferritin, and Fe were significantly lower than the pretreatment values, while total iron-binding capacity was found to be significantly higher. The QTc, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QTc ratio were significantly lower after the treatment.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that QTc, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QTc ratios on the ECG decreased after treatment of the IDA. Children diagnosed with IDA should be carefully monitored for ventricular arrhythmias throughout the treatment.

Keywords: Iron deficiency anemia, electrocardiography, childhood