Left bundle branch block is not equivalent to “absent septal q wave”

Spodick, David H.

doi:10.1016/S0002-8703(03)00257-6

« PreviousAmerican Heart Journal
Volume 146, Issue 3 , Page E2, September 2003

Left bundle branch block is not equivalent to “absent septal q wave”

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To the Editor:

Shamin et al1 report increased mortality associated with absent septal q waves. We recently reported electrocardiographic correlates of absent septal q waves2 and the general neglect of this significant datum.3 However, we scrupulously excluded left bundle branch block (LBBB), which Shamin et al have included: 22 of 71 patients and 2 of 39 comparison patients (did the latter have LBBB with septal q waves?). There is no separate analysis of the effect of LBBB on their results. LBBB is itself a bad prognostic factor, and the peer review process should have requested a separate analysis with and without it. Perhaps Shamin et al can do the statistics and report them by letter. Lacking that, the work may be valueless.

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References

Shamin W, Yousufuddin M, Xiao HB, et al. Septal q waves as an indicator of risk mortality in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Am Heart J. 2002;144:740–744