Holter detection of cardiac arrhythmias in intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

To determine the frequency and severity of cardiac arrhythmias in intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage, 120 nonselected patients were prospectively studied by 24-hour Holter monitoring. Arrhythmias were found in 96 of 107 patients (90%) with adequate Holter recording: ventricular premature complexes in 49, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in 5, supraventricular premature complexes in 29, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or atrial fibrillation in 9, sinoatrial block and arrest in 29, second-degree atrioventricular block in 1, atrioventricular dissociation in 4 and idioventricular rhythm in 2. Life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (torsades de pointes-type ventricular tachycardia) occurred in 4 patients, degenerating into either ventricular flutter or fibrillation in 2. ST-segment changes suggestive of acute transitory myocardial ischemia were found in 8 patients (1.5 mm or more of ST depression in 7 patients and 1.5 mm or more of ST elevation in 1 patient). The frequency and severity of arrhythmias were significantly higher in patients studied within 48 hours of subarachnoid hemorrhage; serious ventricular arrhythmias were associated with QTc prolongation more than 550 ms and with hypokalemia less than 3.5 mEq/liter. No correlation was found between age, clinical condition, site and extent of subarachnoid hemorrhage and either the occurrence or severity of arrhythmias. The results of our study indicate an extremely high incidence of arrhythmias, sometimes serious, in subarachnoid hemorrhage, especially in the first 48 hours after hemorrhage. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring is therefore mandatory.