QTc interval in pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

The mean QTc interval in 140 normal adults was 0.40 second (S.D. ± 0.02, range 0.32 to 0.44 second). It was 0.44 second (S.D. ± 0.09, range 0.32 to 0.54 second) in 125 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). The QTc interval was prolonged (more than 0.44 second) in 47.2% of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. It was not affected by the duration or extent of pulmonary lesion, elevated body temperature or sedimentation rate. The increase in QTc interval appears to be due to myocardial involvement of tuberculosis.