Electrocardiographic Findings in Hemorrhagic Stroke: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can cause electrocardiographic changes via the sympathoadrenal system. We evaluated 59 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage which had different etiologies; 90 percent of these patients had ECG abnormalities. We observed QT prolongation (54 %), T wave inversion (49 %) and ST changes (41 %). Frontal interhemispheric bleedings and those close to the hypothalamic region commonly led to ECG almormalities but the difference did not attain significant level. ST changes and QT prolongation seemed roughly to parallel the clinical severity. Endogenous sabstances, sympathetic system and other factors can leed to ECG abnormalities in subarachnoid hemorrhage.