Incidence of post-discharge arrhythmias in patients with COVID19
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Incidence of post-discharge arrhythmias in patients with COVID-19
IRAS ID
295288
Contact name
Michael Fisher
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
COVID-19 is a global public health concern. Over 90 million people have been infected worldwide with over two million deaths; 100,000 of these have been recorded in the UK alone. With numbers still rising and the long term effects of COVID unknown, research into COVID-19 is essential, particularly in areas where information is still scarce. Although the disease mainly affects the lungs, several studies have shown that COVID-19 can affect the function of the heart. This is associated with increased severity of COVID-19 and fatal outcomes. Cardiac injury also increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias (disruption to the normal specialised conduction system that controls the heart).
Studies have shown that arrhythmias are being recognised as a manifestation of COVID-19 but as of yet the type and severity of cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 have not been well described. It has also now been recognised that there is an incidence of sudden death after discharge from hospital, having apparently recovered from COVID-19. While some of these deaths have been shown to be caused by blood clots, this is not always the case. It is possible that some of these deaths may be due to arrhythmias; however there is not enough data to accept or reject this claim.
The purpose of this study is to see if people to have COVID-19 have more cardiac arrhythmias than people who have another type of respiratory infection. Patients who are eligible for the study are male and female adults aged 18 years+ who have been admitted to the Royal Liverpool Hospital and have tested positive for COVID-19. When they are ready to be discharged, the patients will be fitted with a monitor to record their heart rhythm for three days. The monitor will then be returned and the data will be analysed.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0189
Date of REC Opinion
16 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion