ABSTRACT

Data on the effect on re-hospitalization are limited when levosimendan is added to conventional treatment. We aimed to investigate the role of fragmented QRS (f QRS) on the surface electrocardiogram in predicting the response to levosimendan therapy in patients with acute systolic heart failure.

Patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of <35% were enrolled in this retrospective observational study. They were administered a levosimendan therapy for 24 h, and the number of re-admissions due to decompensated heart failure annually were recorded. Patients were divided two groups: group 1, 0-7 admissions per year and group 2, >7 admissions per year.

There were 42 patients in group 1 and 24 in group 2. The presence of fragmented QRS was seen in 41% of the patients in group 1 and in 92% of the patients in group 2 (p<0.001). The presence of fragmented QRS during the hospitalization of patients treated with levosimendan was found to be an independent predictor of the admission of more than 7 patients in the multivariate analysis.

The presence of fragmented QRS during hospitalization may predict a lower response to levosimendan therapy in patients with decompensated heart failure.