Evaluation of the incidence of heart rhythm disorders based on the type of intradialytic electrolyte variation

Abstract

Background and aim: Cardiac arrhythmia is common in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, especially those undergoing hemodialysis. One of the most significant risk factors for cardiac arrhythmias is thought to be electrolytic abnormalities. This study aimed to assess the effect of hemodialysis on cardiac arrhythmias according to electrolytic disorders in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on ESRD patients who had undergone hemodialysis for at least six months. An electrocardiogram (ECG) and serum levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were checked before and after hemodialysis for all the patients. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS software.Results: In this study, 96 patients were included. The most common arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (AF) (22.9%). Our findings revealed that changes in serum potassium levels (p = 0.036) had a significant relationship with the occurrence of AF. There was a significant negative relationship between changes in serum calcium level and the QTc interval (r = -0.223 and p = 0.023). Furthermore, there was a significant positive relationship between changes in serum calcium levels and the QRS complex amplitude (r = 0.350 and p = 0.0001).Conclusion: ECG abnormalities, especially AF arrhythmias, are common in patients undergoing hemodialysis, which highlights the need for ECG monitoring both during and after hemodialysis.

Keywords

• cardiac arrhythmia
• hemodialysis
• ecg abnormality