Brief Article
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World J Cardiol. Mar 26, 2013; 5(3): 60-64
Published online Mar 26, 2013. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v5.i3.60
Electrocardiographic features of patients with earthquake related posttraumatic stress disorder
Erkan İlhan, Abdullah Kaplan, Tolga Sinan Güvenç, Murat Biteker, Evindar Karabulut, Serhan Işıklı
Erkan İlhan, Abdullah Kaplan, Department of Cardiology, Van Erciş State Hospital, 65400 Van, Turkey
Tolga Sinan Güvenç, Department of Cardiology, Kafkas University School of Medicine, 36000 Kars, Turkey
Murat Biteker, Department of Cardiology, Haydarpaşa Numune Education and Research Hospital, 64668 Istanbul, Turkey
Evindar Karabulut, Serhan Işıklı, Department of Psychiatry, Van Erciş State Hospital, 65400 Van, Turkey
Author contributions: Ilhan E, Kaplan A and Işıklı S designed and performed the research; Karabulut E, Güvenç TS and Biteker M supervised the research design and manuscript preparation; all authors approved the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Erkan Ilhan, Department of Cardiology, Van Ercis State Hospital, 65400 Van, Turkey. erkan.ilhan@yahoo.com.tr
Telephone: +90-505-4365384 Fax: +90-216-4183317
Received: October 11, 2012
Revised: October 25, 2012
Accepted: January 17, 2013
Published online: March 26, 2013
Processing time: 165 Days and 20.5 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To analyze electrocardiographic features of patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the Van-Erciş earthquake, with a shock measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale that took place in Turkey in October 2011.

METHODS: Surface electrocardiograms of 12 patients with PTSD admitted to Van Erciş State Hospital (Van, Turkey) from February 2012 to May 2012 were examined. Psychiatric interviews of the sex and age matched control subjects, who had experienced the earthquake, confirmed the absence of any known diagnosable psychiatric conditions in the control group.

RESULTS: A wide range of electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters, such as P-wave dispersion, QT dispersion, QT interval, Tpeak to Tend interval, intrinsicoid deflection durations and other traditional parameters were similar in both groups. There was no one with an abnormal P wave axis, short or long PR interval, long or short QT interval, negative T wave in lateral leads, abnormal T wave axis, abnormal left or right intrinsicoid deflection duration, low voltage, left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, left posterior hemiblock, left or right axis deviation, left ventricular hypertrophy, right or left atrial enlargement and pathological q(Q) wave in either group.

CONCLUSION: The study showed no direct effect of earthquake related PTSD on surface ECG in young patients. So, we propose that PTSD has no direct effect on surface ECG but may cause electrocardiographic changes indirectly by triggering atherosclerosis and/or contributing to the ongoing atherosclerotic process.

Keywords: Earthquake; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Electrocardiogram