Electrocardiogram Changes in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Admitted to Kashani, Al-Zahra and Noor Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of the cerebrovascular accidents which more common occurs in adults with age group of 35-65 years old. How to distinguish different measures which affect treatment, morbidity and mortality of patients with SAH is an important part of study. One of the aforementioned modalities is electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, which occur in most of involved patient. In this study we evaluated ECG changes in patients with SAH that admitted in three referral medical centers.

Materials and Methods:: In retrospective study with use of patients files with definite diagnosis  of SAH in Kashani, Al-Zahra and Noor hospitals in Esfahan city, Iran, for 5 years sequentially, we studied 214 cases with SAH, evaluate of the ECC changes in these patients done by one cardiologist. Since these changes are like those occur in myocardial ischemia (MI) therefore the differential diagnosis of changes secondary to SAH from functional disturbances or true MI is very important.

Results: From 214 cases with SAH, 118 cases were women (55.1%) and 96 cases were men (44.9%), 30 cases had not any ECG on their files. 184 of cases had ECG on their files, which 117 of them had ECG changes (63.6%). Repolarization abnormalities were the most abundant changes observed (65.8%).

Conclusion: Among above abnormalities, changes like myocardial ischemic which specifically related to ST segment and T wave changes were observed commonly.