Acute Ischemic Stroke; Electrocardiographic and Echocardiographic Findings in Patients. (Potential Source of Cardiac Emboli)

Abstract

To determine the electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings in patients with acute ischemic stroke (potential source of cardiac emboli). Study Design: Cross section descriptive study. Period: Six months. Setting: Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad. Patients and Methods: The subjects with history and clinical features suggestive of cerebrovascular accident (CVA). After establishing the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke the electrocardiography (ECG) was advised and those subjects had abnormal findings on ECG were went for echocardiography to evaluate the specific cause related to acute ischemic stroke. The two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was performed by consultant cardiologist had ≥ five years experienced in echocardiography because echocardiographic study in patients with cerebrovascular accident (confirmed on CT scan) is evidence of potential cardiac abnormalities as a predisposing cause for the vascular event. The data was collected on pre-designed proforma and was analyzed in SPSS 16 and the frequency and percentage was calculated. Results: Total one hundred patients with acute ischemic stroke were studied for electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings during six months study period. The mean ±SD for age of patients with acute ischemic stroke was 43.67±10.62. Majority of the patients were males and 69% while the age and gender cross tabulation was also statistically significant (p=0.03). The electrocardiographic abnormalities were indentified in 80% patients (AF in 16.2%, LVH in 22.5%, LBBB in 10%, wide QRS complex in 10% and ischemic changes in 8.7%) while the echocardiographic abnormalities were detected in 70% patients of which global hypokinesia (28.5%), LVH (25.7%) and diastolic dysfunction (17.14)% were predominant. Conclusion: The cardiac embolic source is the major cause for acute ischemic stroke and detected by echocardiography as it is the main tool in diagnosing the source of embolus.