The relationship between electrocardiographic abnormalities and location of the intracranial aneurysm in subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the value of the ECG in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in predicting poor outcome, and to define if specific ECG changes are related to the location of the aneurysm in SAH. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 97 patients with symptoms of SAH. An ECG and an initial computer tomograph (CT) scan were the two major inclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was in hospital mortality. ECG changes were correlated with mortality and severity of hemorrhage expressed as the Hijdra score. A prolonged QTc interval occurred more frequently in patients who had experienced a severe hemorrhage (RR = 3.18; 95% CI = 1.07-10.22; P < 0.05). LV hypertrophy criteria were strongly related to an aneurysm in the anterior communicating artery. U wave presence showed a statistically significant relationship with the posterior communicating artery and the middle cerebral artery. A prolonged QTc interval is observed more frequently in patients with severe hemorrhage. Specific ECG abnormalities were seen to be associated with the location of the aneurysm in the circle of Willis in SAH.