Effect of QT interval prolongation on cardiac arrest following liver transplantation and derivation of a risk index

Abstract

Liver transplantation(LT) has a four-fold higher risk of periprocedural cardiac arrest and ventricular arrhythmias(CA/VA) compared with other noncardiac surgeries. Prolongation of the corrected QT interval(QTc) is common in patients with liver cirrhosis. Whether it is associated with an increased risk of CA/VA following LT is unclear. Rates of 30-day CA/VA post-LT was assessed in consecutive adults undergoing LT between 2010-2017. Pre-transplant QTc was measured by a cardiologist blinded to clinical outcomes. Among 408 patients included, CA/VA occurred in 26(6.4%) patients. QTc was significantly longer in CA/VA patients(475±34 vs 450±34 milliseconds, p<0.001). Optimal QTc cut-off for predict..