The Relationship between Severe Earthquakes and Ventricular Arrhythmia in Turkey: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND

Earthquakes are associated with an increase in cardiovascular events through various physiological and environmental mechanisms. However, data on their effects on ventricular arrhythmias (VA) are limited.

AIM: The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of earthquakes on the incidence of VA and device response by examining implantable cardiac device records.

METHODS

The device records of patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) device, implanted for any reason, at least 1 month prior to the February 6, 2023, earthquake were reviewed by cardiologists for VA, antitachycardia pacing (ATP), and shock, and analyzed for VA, ATP, and shock. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test.

RESULTS

There were 163 participants with a mean age of 60.84 ± 12.74 years, and 69.9% were male. Seventy-one patients (43.6%) had a single ICD, 23 patients had a dual ICD (14.1%), and 69 patients (42.3%) had a CRT-D. When compared to the pre-earthquake period, a significant difference was observed in the incidence of VA in the acute period ( P = 0.008) and subacute period ( P < 0.001). The frequency of receiving ATP or shock significantly increased during the acute period ( P = 0.013) and the subacute period ( P < 0.001) compared to the pre-earthquake period.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that major earthquakes may be associated with an increased incidence of VA and device therapy, particularly during the subacute period. These results emphasize the importance of carefully monitoring patients with implantable cardiac devices following major earthquakes.