Electrocardiographic abnormalities and some laboratory findings in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage

Abstract

The electrocardiogram and the urinary excretion of catecholamines and metanephrines, plasma corticosteroids, blood sugar, NEFA, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, SGOT, SGPT, SLDH, SCPK, serume lectrolytes, and serum lactic acid have been measured in 20 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage, including 6 patients with earlier known arterial hypertension, from their admission to the hospital up to their discharge or death. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were seen in all patients during the follow-up time. Electrocardiographic changes appeared most often at admission or on the first hospital day. An abnormal U wave was the change more often seen (13 patients).'Next in frequency was QT interval prolongation (II patients), and STdepression was seen in zopatients. SVx +RV5 exceeded 35 mm in 8 patients. The other abnormalities were T wave flattening and/or inversion, large P wave, ST elevation, prolonged PQ interval, atrial fibrillation, sinus bradycardia and tachycardia, and ventricular extrasystoles. Twelve patients survived the disease: in 8 of them the electrocardiogram returned to normal during the follow-up. The persisting abnormalities in electrocardiograms of the 4 other survivors were abnormal U wave in 3 patients, large P wave in 2, ST elevation in I, ST depression in I, sinus bradycardia in I, and sinus tachycardia in I. No clear, uniform correlation could be found between any single laboratory finding and electrocardiographic abnormalities.