ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC ABNORMALITIES AND INTRACRANIAL BLOOD IN PATIENTS FOLLOWING ACUTE SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE

The etiological factors that influence the development of electrocardi ographic (ECG) abnormalities following a subarachnoid hemorrhage are n ot fully understood. The purpose of this study was to assess if there was an association between ECG abnormalities and the amount of intracr anial blood seen on computerized tomographic (CT) scanning following a n acute bleed in patients with a cerebral aneurysm. The charts of 70 p atients who had had a preoperative CT scan and a preoperative ECG with in 96 h of bleed were reviewed. The neurological status of the patient s was graded according to the Botterell classification and the amount of blood seen on the CT scan was graded by the Fisher classification. Thirty patients had an abnormal ECG. Seventy percent of these abnormal ities involved the T wave or the ST segment. The incidence of ECG abno rmalities was statistically greater for patients who had an increased amount of intracranial blood or an intracerebral clot, as seen on CT s can. All patients had treatment (surgical n = 69, embolization n = 1) of the aneurysm. Neither the amount of blood seen on CT scan nor the i ncidence of ECG abnormalities was useful in predicting patient outcome . In conclusion, the increased quantity of intracranial blood was asso ciated with an increased incidence of ECG abnormalities.