Prevalence and Factors Associated with Electrocardiographic Abnormalities among Heart Failure Patients at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Ishaka, Uganda
| dc.contributor.author | Yves Tibamwenda Bafwa | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-28T06:15:06Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-28T06:15:06Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-07 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa. A multicenter prospective cohort study of 1,006 patients with acute heart failure in a Sub-Saharan Africa Survey showed that 814 patients had ECGs readings among which 97.7% had abnormalities. There is paucity of data on ECG abnormalities among heart failure patients in many developing countries, Uganda inclusive. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at KIU-TH between January and March 2020 which recruited 122 heart failure patients. Questionnaires were administered to respondents to obtain factors associated with ECG abnormalities. A 12-lead ECG machine was used to obtain ECG findings. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to establish the association between each independent variable and the ECG abnormalities. Results: The mean age of study respondents was 62.4 ± 20 years and 54.9% of the respondents were females. The prevalence of ECG abnormalities among heart failure patients was 86.1 % (95% CI: 78.6-91.2). The main ECG abnormalities were left ventricular hypertrophy (29.5%), left bundle branch block (12.4%) and right bundle branch block (11.4%). The factors associated with ECG abnormalities were age ≥ 50 years (aOR = 23.1, 95% CI: 1.81 – 294.33, p= 0.016), smoking (aOR = 23.6, 95% CI: 1.19 – 465.86, p= 0.038), hypertension (aOR = 11.9, 95% CI: 1.05 – 135.65, p= 0.046) and being in NYHA functional class III and IV (aOR = 168.7, 95 % CI: 6.85 – 4155.5, p=0.002). Conclusion: The prevalence of abnormal ECG among heart failure patients was very high. Respondents aged above 50 years, smokers, hypertensive and those staged in NYHA functional class III and IV were at high risk of having abnormal ECG. It is recommended that ECG test should be included as a routine test in the management of heart failure patients at KIU-TH, regular refresher training in ECG should be organized for clinicians. Routine health education on the dangers of alcohol misuse and smoking to the heart and other organs, should be encouraged at triage centres of all health facilities by the Ministry of Health in Uganda. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/14965 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kampala International University | |
| dc.title | Prevalence and Factors Associated with Electrocardiographic Abnormalities among Heart Failure Patients at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Ishaka, Uganda | |
| dc.type | Thesis |