Characteristics of the Early Electrocardiographic Findings and Their Relations h i p with the Location of the Lesion and Its Severity in Acute Ischemic Stroke

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Like a hemorrhagic stroke, an acute ischemic stroke can produce abnormal ECG (electrocardiography) findings. This study was carried out to evaluate the incidences and the types of abnormal ECG findings in patients with acute ischemic stroke and to find the relationship between an abnormal ECG and a cerebral ischemic lesion. METHODS: One hundred two patients admitted through the ED with acute ischemic stroke from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2001, were studied. The first ECG checked in the ED, the brain MRI, 4-vessel angiography, and medical records were reviewed. RESULTS: Abnormal ECG findings were found in 89.2% of the patients with acute ischemic stroke. The most common abnormal ECG finding was QTc interval prolongation (52.8%). Other common findings were an abnormal PR interval (47.3%), left ventricular hypertrophy (31.9%), and sinus bradycardia (25.3%). The abnormal ECG findings were not related with the location of the cerebral ischemic lesion. In addition, the abnormal ECG findings were not related to the neurological severity of the stroke. CONCILUSION The incidence of abnormal ECG findings in patients with acute ischemic stroke was higher than that of previous studies. However, this study showed no significant relationship between abnormal ECG findings and a particular ischemic area of the brain. The causality of abnormal ECG findings and acute ischemic stroke was not definite. Therefore, further study to find that causality has to be carried out.