Assessment of cardiovascular regulation after burns by nonlinear analysis of the electrocardiogram.

Critical illness and hypovolemia are associated with loss of complexity of the R-to-R interval (RRI) of the electrocardiogram, whereas recovery is characterized by restoration thereof. Our goal was to investigate the dynamics of RRI complexity in burn patients. We hypothesized that the postburn period is associated with a state of low RRI complexity, and that successful resuscitation restores it.

Prehospital loss of R-to-R interval complexity is associated with mortality in trauma patients.

Background: To improve our ability to identify physiologic deterioration caused by critical injury, we applied nonlinear analysis to the R-to-R interval (RRI) of the electrocardiogram of prehospital trauma patients.

Methods: Ectopy-free, 800-beat sections of electrocardiogram from 31 patients were identified. Twenty patients survived (S) and 11 died (NonS) after hospital admission.