Torsade de pointes and ventricular flutter-fibrillation following spontaneous cerebral subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

Five cases (3.8%) in a series of 132 patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, studied by 24-hour Holter monitoring, presented with ventricular tachycardia of torsade de pointes variety. In all cases, the arrhythmias were observed within 24 hours after the bleeding. The QTc interval was prolonged more than 0.55 sec, and hypokalemia of less than 3.5 mEq/liter was present in all patients. The clinical status was not significant. Torsade de pointes occurred in comatose patients (3 cases) as well as in alert patients (2 cases). The arrhythmia was reversed by therapy in 3 patients, one of whom survived while 2 died due to cerebral damage. Our observations confirm the presence of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in the acute phase of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring is therefore advisable in view of its potential role in alerting to the need for treatment.