Prevalence of electrocardiographic changes in patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and their relationship with outcome

Abstract

Electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations occurring after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have been described frequently, but the prognostic significance of these changes has not been well characterized. To report the prevalence and patterns of ECG alterations in patients with acute aneurysmal SAH and to study the relationship between ECG alterations and the neurological outcome, if any. Records of consecutive patients admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit of the SCTIMST, Trivandrum between January 1999 and January 2011 with acute aneurysmal SAH were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 321 patients with SAH, 190 (59.2%) had abnormal ECGs. Repolarization abnormalities were the most common, with T wave inversion in the anterolateral leads occurring in 155 (48.3%) patients. By univariate analysis, female sex, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) at admission of I, ST segment depression or T inversion in anterolateral leads, prolonged corrected QT interval, and sinus bradycardia were associated with increased risk of death. By multivariate analysis, only GCS and WFNS grade independently predicted mortality and none of the ECG changes predicted the same. Presence of tall T waves in anterior leads, T inversion in anterolateral leads, sinus bradycardia, and WFNS grade >1 were independently associated with GCS In patients with acute aneurysmal SAH, repolarization abnormalities are the commonest ECG alterations. ECG alterations do not independently predict death, but independently predict poor discharge neurological status.