Development of an AI-Driven QT Correction Algorithm for Patients in Atrial Fibrillation

BACKGROUND Prolongation of the QTc interval is associated with the risk of torsades de pointes. Determination of the QTc interval is therefore of critical importance. There is no reliable method for measuring or correcting the QT interval in atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVES The authors sought to evaluate the use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) applied to AF electrocardiograms (ECGs) for accurately estimating the QTc interval and ruling out prolongation of the QTc interval. METHODS The authors identified patients with a 12-lead ECG in AF within 10 days of a sinus ECG, with similar (similar to 10 ms) QRS durations, between October 23, 2001, and November 5, 2021. A multilayered deep CNN was implemented in TensorFlow 2.5 (Google) to predict the MUSE (GE Healthcare) software-generated sinus QTc value from an AF ECG waveform, demographic characteristics, and software-generated features. RESULTS The study identified 6,432 patients (44% female) with an average age of 71 years. The CNN predicted sinus QTc values with a mean absolute error of 22.2 ms and root mean squared error of 30.6 ms, similar to the intrinsic variability of the sinus QTc interval. Approximately 84% and 97% of the model's predictions were contained within 1 SD (similar to 30.6 ms) and 2 SD (similar to 61.2 ms) from the sinus QTc interval. The model outperformed the AFQTc method, exhibiting narrower error ranges (mean absolute error comparison P < 0.0001). The model performed best for ruling out QTc prolongation (negative predictive value 0.82 male, 0.92 female; specificity 0.92 male, 0.97 female). CONCLUSIONS A CNN model applied to AF ECGs accurately predicted the sinus QTc interval, outperforming current alternatives and exhibiting a high negative predictive value. (c) 2023 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Automated summary

A convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to accurately estimate the QTc interval and rule out prolongation in atrial fibrillation (AF) electrocardiograms (ECGs).