Electrocardiographic changes in measles.
Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded in 100 Nigerian children with measles admitted to our paediatric wards or treated on an out-patient basis. The patients were aged 5 months-8 years (mean, 19 months) and the male:female ratio was 1.3:1. Similar recordings were obtained in 100 age- and sex-matched controls. The electrocardiographic changes observed include T wave inversion in 28 patients and prolonged P-R interval in 22. Other changes are prolonged Q-Tc (13 patients), low QRS amplitude (13 patients), abnormal QRS axes in the frontal plane (5 patients) and T wave flattening (4 patients). A statistically significant difference between patients and controls with respect to the above changes was demonstrated in T wave inversion and prolonged P-R interval--the latter in the 5 months-1 year age group. Hence, 35 patients had at least one statistically significant ECG change, giving a prevalence rate of 35%. The implications of the above findings are discussed and the need to intensify efforts aimed at immunizing all children against measles is stressed.