Effects of paediatric HIV infection on electrical conduction of the heart

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of HIV infection in children on heart electrical conduction, particularly to delineate the effects of HIV infection from treatment. METHODS: On a 12-lead ECG, available for 37 antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve, 42 ART-exposed vertically-acquired HIV-infected and 50 healthy children in Jakarta, Indonesia, we measured cardiac conduction parameters: PR, QRS, and QTc (corrected using Bazett's formula) intervals. The associations between HIV infection/treatment status and ECG intervals were evaluated using general linear modelling with further adjustment for potential confounders or intermediary variables. Findings are presented as (adjusted) mean difference..