Aims and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to find out ECG abnormalities associated with acute stroke and relationship of these abnormalities in cerebrovascular accident with mortality and prognosis.

Method: The study consisted of total 100 cases with history and clinical manifestations suggestive of acute stroke and confirmed by CT head and admitted in medicine wards of hospital. ECG changes in various types of stroke were observed in all the cases and results were analyzed statistically.

Results: The ECG changes observed in patients with acute stroke were T Wave inversion in 28 (28%), LVH (12%), ST depression (10%), prolonged QTc in 10(10%) and U wave 2(2%) cases. Rhythm abnormalities commonly noticed were sinus tachycardia in 5 (5%) cases, sinus bradycardia in 4(4%), ventricular premature complexes in 3 (3%) and supraventricular tachycardia in 2 (2%) cases. T-wave inversion (27.58%) and ST segment depression (10.34%) were common ECG abnormalities in ischemic stroke whereas QTc prolongation (28.57%), LVH (16.66%) and T inversion (16.66%) in hemorrhagic stroke. The overall mortality rate was 40% with higher in stroke group with abnormal ECG than those with normal ECG. QTc prolongation had prognostic significance in predicting mortality in stroke patients. No correlation was found with ECG abnormalities with location of brain lesion

Conclusion: Different ECG changes are observed in acute stroke patients even in absence of primary cardiac disease and these ECG changes can be predictor of prognosis.

Keywords: ECG, Acute stroke, Cerebrovascular accident, Prognosis, CT head, intracranial lesion.

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Dr Milind Vyawahare*

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