Elliot Sexton

• MBBS
• Testing the validity of the QRSVm parameter for predicting ventricular arrhythmic events in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a complex congenital heart condition, characterised by multiple cardiac malformations, that presents in ~3 of every 10,000 births. TOF children have a cardiac anatomy that permits the mixing of deoxygenated and oxygenated blood and require reparative heart surgery to treat.Following surgery, most TOF children can lead normal lives, although some develop abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) as adults, potentially resulting in sudden cardiac death. Currently, no predictive measure exists to detect TOF patients at heightened risk of developing arrhythmias. Last year however, Cortez et al proposed that a low QRS Vector magnitude (QRSVm - a value calculatable from an ECG), may predict arrhythmias in post-operative TOF patients.My project tests the validity of the QRSVm parameter in predicting arrhythmias in a local population of TOF patients and evaluates its potential for identifying high-risk patients that may benefit from interventions to prevent arrhythmias.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Dr Louise Coats