The Relationship between Body Mass Index and Frontal QRS-T Angle in Pregnant Women Undergoing Cesarean Section with Spinal Anesthesia

Background and objectives: The frontal QRS-T angle is a novel parameter of myocardial repolarization. Weight gain during pregnancy and physiological changes during a cesarian section may affect the frontal QRS-T angle. We aimed to assess the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the frontal QRS-T angle in pregnant women undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia. Method and materials: This study included 90 pregnant women. BMI was calculated for all pregnant women. The study population was divided into two groups: BMI < 30 (n = 66) and BMI >= 30 (n = 24). QT interval measurements and the frontal QRS-T angle were obtained from the report of an electrocardiography machine. Results: It was found that the pre-operative and post-operative frontal QRS-T angle (p = 0.045 and p = 0.007) and QTc interval (p = 0.037 and p < 0.001) were higher in pregnant women with a BMI >= 30 than in pregnant women with a BMI < 30. In addition, when compared to pre-operative values, the post-operative frontal QRS-T angle (from 24.0 [20.0-41.5] to 34.5 [19.5-50.0], p = 0.031) and QTc interval (from 420.6 +/- 13.3 to 431.7 +/- 18.3, p = 0.010) were increased in the BMI >= 30 group, whereas no significant post-operative increase was observed in the BMI < 30 group. In correlation analysis, BMI was positively correlated with the frontal QRS-T angle and QTc interval. Conclusions: The frontal QRS-T angle and QTc interval were importantly increased in pregnant women with a BMI >= 30 than in pregnant women with a BMI < 30. Also, after cesarean section operation with spinal anesthesia, the frontal QRS-T angle and QTc were increased significantly in the BMI >= 30 group, whereas no significant change was observed in the BMI < 30 group. Therefore, it is suggested to perform close post-operative monitoring in pregnant women with a BMI >= 30 undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia.