Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26528334›Full record

ArticleArchives of medical science : AMS2015

Usefulness of microvolt T-wave alternans testing in the assessment of all-cause mortality and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia risk in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Ludmiła Daniłowicz-Szymanowicz, Małgorzata Szwoch, Alicja Dąbrowska-Kugacka, Maria Dudziak, Dariusz Kozłowski, Grzegorz Raczak

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of medical science : AMS, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ludmiła Daniłowicz-SzymanowiczDepartment of Cardiology and Electrotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Małgorzata SzwochDepartment of Cardiology and Electrotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Alicja Dąbrowska-KugackaDepartment of Cardiology and Electrotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Maria DudziakDepartment of Noninvasive Cardiac Diagnostics, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Dariusz KozłowskiDepartment of Cardiology and Electrotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Grzegorz RaczakDepartment of Cardiology and Electrotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Gdańsk Medical University · PL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPatients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% are eligible for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement in the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Nevertheless, other risk factors facilitating the selection of individuals with highest mortality are still sought. The aim of the study was to verify the usefulness of microvolt T-wave alternans (MTWA) testing in the assessment of all-cause mortality and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (EVENTs) in these patients. Previous data from the literature are inconclusive. MATERIAL AND

methodsPatients with LVEF ≤ 35% were eligible if they did not have a history of sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and were treated with β-blockers. Participants underwent MTWA testing and were subsequently followed.

resultsThe group consisted of 139 patients. MTWA results were classified as non-negative (MTWA_non-neg) in 93 and negative (MTWA_neg) in 46 patients. During the 14.3 ±8.6 months of follow-up, EVENTs were observed in 21 patients. The 1-year EVENT rate was 16.4% among MTWA_non-neg patients, and 2.6% among MTWA_neg patients (p = 0.006). The sensitivity of the MTWA test was 95.24%, the specificity - 38.14%, the positive predictive value - 21.51% and the negative predictive value - 97.83%.

conclusionsIn the group of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, with the exclusion of patients with the history of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and individuals not being on chronic β-adrenolytic therapy, the abnormal result of MTWA testing is associated with significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia during 1 year of follow-up, thus identifying the individuals at the highest risk.

Indexed as

left ventricular dysfunctionmicrovolt T-wave alternansprognosis

Identifiers

PMID26528334
PMCPMC4624729
OpenAlexW2107940612

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.