Use of Surface Electrocardiograms in Evaluating Risk of Cardiomyopathy in Children with Anthracycline Exposure

Purpose: Children exposed to anthracyclines are at risk for cardiomyopathy. Early recognition of cardiomyopathy may reduce morbidity and mortality, but substantial myocardial damage can occur before echocardiographic changes are apparent. We hypothesized that electrocardiogram (ECG) changes precede echocardiographic changes and may be used as an early risk stratification screening tool for cardiomyopathy. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of cancer patients who received anthracyclines at a tertiary pediatric referral center. ECG endpoints were the sum of absolute QRS amplitudes in the 6 limb leads (ΣQRS …