Electrocardiographic changes in acute intracerebral hemorrhage

Abstract

There is an intimate relationship between brain and cardiac function not only in healthy, but even more in patients with cerebrovascular disorders. In this article we present the kinds of ECG changes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage in regard to the localisation of the cerebral lesion. The study group consisted of 34 patients (15 males and 19 females) of average age 66 years (range 52 to 81). There were 20 patients with the internal capsule hemorrhage, 9 with temporoparietal hemorrhage, and 5 with massive hemispheric hemorrhage. ECG changes were evaluated during the first 48 hours from admission in the ICU and shortly before discharge. The most common ECG abnormalities associated with central lesions that we found were: prolongation of the Q-T interval in 18 patients, elevated, peaked, or notched T waves in 18 patients and ST segment depression in 11 patients. The most frequent ECG changes that we registered among rhythm and conduction disturbances were: narrow-QRS tachycardia with regular rhythm; 14 patients with sinus tachycardia and 2 patients with paroxysmal reentrant tachycardia; narrow-QRS tachycardias with irregular rhythm; 1 patient with atrial fibrillation, and 6 patients with incomplete / partial left bundle branch block (LBBB). ECG changes in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage are frequent and somehow depend on the side and localization of the brain lesion.