Electrocardiographic abnormalities in acute cerebro-vascular accidents and their correlation with cerebro-spinal fluid pressure and serum electrolytes.

Electrocardiographic studies have been carried out in 50 patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents. These cases included 31 cases from non-haemorrhagic group and 19 cases from haemor­rhagic group. `T' or T-U wave abnormalities were seen in 63.1% of cases in haemorrhagic group and in 35.4% of cases from non-hae­morrhagic group. Abnormal prolongation of QTc interval (105% of normal i.e. 0.45 Secs.) was observed in 73.6% cases from haemorrhagic group and in 35.4% of cases from non-haemorrhagic group. On comparing these two groups it was found that QTc was signi­ficantly more prolonged in patiens of haemorrhagic group than non­-haemorrhagic group. The CSF pressure was found to be signi­ficantly more in patients with ECG abnormalities. However, there teas no correlation between serum electrolyte levels and ECG abnormalities. After 2 weeks, the ECG abnormalities disappeared, except in two cases from haemorrhagic group. There was no signi­ficant difference in the incidence of mortality between patient having ECG abnormalities and the patients without ECG abnormalities. In the light of these findings the probable mechanism of production of ECG changes in acute cerebrovascular accidents is discussed.