Cardiac arrhythmia as initial presentation of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

• Published in: Netherlands journal of medicine Vol. 55; no. 5; pp. 242 - 246
• Main Authors: van der Kleij, F.G.H, Henselmans, J.M.L, van de Loosdrecht, A.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alphen aan den Rijn Elsevier B.V 01.11.1999; Van zuiden
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Aneurysm, Ruptured - complications; Aneurysm, Ruptured - diagnostic imaging; Asystole; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral bleeding; Electrocardiography; Fatal Outcome; Heart Arrest - diagnosis; Heart Arrest - etiology; Humans; Intracranial Aneurysm - complications; Intracranial Aneurysm - diagnostic imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Neurology; Prolonged QTc interval; Rupture, Spontaneous; Ruptured aneurysm; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - complications; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - diagnostic imaging; Sudden death; Tachycardia, Supraventricular - diagnosis; Tachycardia, Supraventricular - etiology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Cerebral bleeding; Prolonged QTc interval; Ruptured aneurysm; Sudden death; Asystole; Human; Intracranial; Nervous system diseases; Arrhythmia; Aneurysm; Cardiovascular disease; Male; Hemorrhage; Excitability disorder; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Case study; Heart disease; Central nervous system disease; Subarachnoid; Diagnosis; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0300-2977; 1872-9061
• DOI: 10.1016/S0300-2977(99)00083-2

Cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death are most frequently caused by preexisting heart disease. Rarely, cardiac arrhythmia is a first symptom of an acute neurological event. We describe a patient with asystole and other cardiac arrhythmias, as initial symptoms of acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Several aspects of cardiac arrhythmias and acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage are discussed.