Subarachnoid hemorrhage: atypical presentation associated with rapidly changing cardiac arrhythmias

Atypical Presentation of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Incidence and Clinical Importance

BACKGROUND

The symptoms of sudden severe headache and/or diminished consciousness characterize the onset of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, several studies have suggested that some patients show an atypical presentation at the onset: symptoms lacking sudden headache and diminished consciousness. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and clinical features of cases with atypical onset.

METHODS

Retrospective observational study based on the data collected prospectively from all patients with SAH admitted to our hospital was performed. Cases with a sudden headache at the onset were classified as the headache onset group, and cases with onset symptoms other than headache were classified as the atypical onset group. The clinical parameters were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Of the 368 patients with SAH, 75 (20.4%) showed diminished consciousness from onset, 279 (75.8%) comprised the headache onset group, and 14 (3.8%) comprised the atypical onset group. The main symptoms in the atypical onset group were nausea or vomiting, vertigo or dizziness, and neck pain or back pain. The rate of misdiagnosis of SAH and the rate of rebleeding after misdiagnosis were higher in the atypical onset group (P = .045 and P = .043, respectively). The interval from onset to diagnosis was longer in the atypical onset group (P = .033). The atypical onset group demonstrated a more severe clinical grade on admission (P = .009), a lower rate of ruptured aneurysm repair (P < .001), and a poorer outcome (P = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

Atypical onset is rare but has a great impact on the clinical course through rebleeding exacerbated by misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, resulting in poor outcomes.

The association between depressive disorder and cardiac autonomic control in adults 60 years and older

BACKGROUND

Altered cardiac autonomic control has often been reported in depressed persons and might play an important role in the increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A negative association between cardiac autonomic control and depression might become specifically clinically relevant in persons 60 years or older as CVD risk increases with age.

METHODS

This study included data of 321 persons with a depressive disorder and 115 controls participating in the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons (mean age = 70.3 years, 65.7% female). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), heart rate (HR), and preejection period (PEP) were measured and compared between depressed persons and controls. In addition, the role of antidepressants and clinical characteristics (e.g., age of depression onset and comorbid anxiety) was examined.

RESULTS

Compared with controls, depressed persons had lower RSA (mean [standard error of the mean] = 23.5 [1.2] milliseconds versus 18.6 [0.7] milliseconds, p = .001, d = 0.373) and marginally higher HR (73.1 [1.1] beats/min versus 75.6 [0.6] beats/min, p = .065, d = 0.212), but comparable PEP (113.9 [2.1] milliseconds versus 112.0 [1.2] milliseconds, p = .45, d = 0.087), fully adjusted. Antidepressants strongly attenuated the associations between depression and HR and RSA. Antidepressant-naïve depressed persons had similar HR and RSA to controls, whereas users of antidepressants showed significantly lower RSA. In addition, tricyclic antidepressant users had higher HR (p < .001, d = 0.768) and shorter PEP (p = .014, d = 0.395) than did controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression was not associated with cardiac autonomic control, but antidepressants were in this sample. All antidepressants were associated with low cardiac parasympathetic control and specifically tricyclic antidepressants with high cardiac sympathetic control.

Erythropoietin inhibits the increase of intestinal labile zinc and the expression of inflammatory mediators after traumatic brain injury in rats

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of erythropoietin (Epo) on the intestinal labile zinc and the inflammatory factor in rats after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into nine groups: (a) normal group; (b) sham-operation group; (c, d, e, f, and g) TBI group, killed at 1 hour, 6 hour, 24 hour, and 72 hour and 7 days postinjury, respectively; (h and i) TBI + saline and TBI + Epo, killed at 24 hour or 72 hour postinjury. Parietal brain contusion was produced by a free-falling weight on the exposed dura of the right parietal lobe. Intestinal labile zinc, the tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-8, and wet/dry weight ratio were investigated in different groups.

RESULTS

The gut contains a certain amount of labile zinc in normal animals and TBI caused obviously gradual increment of intestinal liabled zinc. The levels of inflammatory mediators and the gut wet/dry weight ratio were also found to increase in the trauma group (p < 0.05). There was a highly positive correlation between the abundance of zinc fluorescence and these proinflammation factors. Epo significantly reduced the intestinal labile zinc, the inflammatory mediators, and the gut wet/dry weight ratio compared with TBI group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Epo can protect intestine from TBI-induced injury by attenuating intestinal inflammation and labile zinc accumulation in vivo.

Acute neck pain, an atypical presentation of subarachnoid haemorrhage

Subarachnoid haemorrhage can be a massively debilitating condition with long-term repercussions. The "classic" presentation of sudden-onset severe headache normally raises suspicions. However, if the presentation is atypical, the diagnosis may be missed. We report on a 52-year-old man who presented with a 1-day history of progressively worsening right-sided neck pain spreading to the chest with associated symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. After initial stabilisation, the patient's Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score declined, with subsequent CT scan showing an extensive subarachnoid haemorrhage.

The inflammation in the gut after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal dysfunction could be frequently observed in the patients suffering from SAH. This study test the hypothesis that experimental SAH could induce histopathological changes and inflammatory response associating with NF-kappaB activation pathway in the gut.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 17 rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: control group (n = 8) and SAH group (n = 9). In the SAH group, the animals were subjected to experimental SAH according to the "two-hemorrhage" method. The histopathological study was performed to detect the intestinal mucosal morphological changes and immunohistochemical study was used to detect the TNF-alpha and ICAM-1 expressions. NF-kappaB binding activity was measured using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

RESULTS

It was demonstrated that some damage changes and leukocytes infiltration occurred in the intestinal mucosa after SAH. More positive cells for TNF-alpha and ICAM-1 were observed in the SAH group. The NF-kappaB binding activity in the intestines was significantly increased in the SAH group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study suggest that SAH in the rabbits could induce NF-kappaB and proinflammatory cytokines activation in the intestine, which is associated with morphological changes.

Survival of a neurologically intact patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage and cardiopulmonary arrest

Subarachnold hemorrhage (SAH) is a relatively common cause of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Long-term survival with SAH and CPA is rare, and the vast majority of those who survive have moderate to severe neurologic disability. To our knowledge, there are no prior reports of patients with SAH who experience CPA and survive without neurologic deficit. We describe a patient with SAH who experienced CPA shortly after hospital admission and survived without neurologic sequelae (Cerebral Performance Category 1). Prompt defibrillation of SAH-induced ventricular fibrillation and timely neurologic intervention are essential for good neurologic outcome.

Cardiac manifestations after subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review of the literature

Cardiac alterations associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have been recognized and frequently reported. We systematically reviewed the literature on MEDLINE using the key words: SAH + (heart, cardiac, electrocardiogram, cardiac enzymes, troponin, myoglobin, echocardiography, scintigraphy, Holter, and regional wall motion abnormalities) and included all articles describing cardiac abnormalities in the course of SAH whether spontaneous or secondary. The diagnosis of SAH was established by computed tomography scan, lumbar puncture, or brain autopsy. Cardiac abnormalities were identified by electrocardiogram, enzymatic elevation, Holter monitoring, echocardiography, cardiac scintigraphy, coronary angiography, or autopsy. Despite the considerable literature describing cardiac alterations during the course of SAH, epidemiological, pathophysiological, and prognostic aspects are yet to be clarified. Further studies are needed to evaluate the magnitude of this problem.

Myocardial injury and left ventricular performance after subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Electrocardiographic abnormalities and elevations of the creatine kinase myocardial isoenzyme (CK-MB) occur frequently after subarachnoid hemorrhage. In some patients, a reversible and presumably neurogenic form of left ventricular dysfunction is demonstrated by echocardiography. It is not known whether cardiac injury of this type adversely affects cardiovascular hemodynamic performance.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 72 patients admitted to our neuro-ICU for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage over a 2.5-year period. We selected patients who met the following criteria: (1) CK-MB levels measured within 3 days of onset, (2) pulmonary artery catheter placed, (3) echocardiogram performed, and (4) no history of preexisting cardiac disease. Hemodynamic profiles were recorded on the day after surgery (n=67) or on the day of echocardiography (n=5) if surgery was not performed (mean, 3. 3+/-1.7 days after onset). The severity of cardiac injury was classified as none (peak CK-MB <1%, n=36), mild (peak CK-MB 1% to 2%, n=21), moderate (peak CK-MB >2%, n=6), or severe (abnormal left ventricular wall motion, n=9).

RESULTS

Abnormal left ventricular wall motion occurred exclusively in patients with peak CK-MB levels >2% (P<0.0001), poor neurological grade (P=0.002), and female sex (P=0.02). Left ventricular stroke volume index and stroke work index were elevated above the normal range in patients with peak CK-MB levels <1% and fell progressively as the severity of cardiac injury increased, with mean values for patients with abnormal wall motion below normal (both P<0.0001 by ANOVA). Cardiac index followed a similar trend, but the effect was less pronounced (P<0.0001). Using forward stepwise multiple logistic regression, we found that thick subarachnoid clot on the admission CT scan (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.0 to 3.4; P=0.04) and depressed cardiac index (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 4.1; P=0.04) were independent predictors of symptomatic vasospasm.

CONCLUSIONS

Myocardial enzyme release and echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities are associated with impaired left ventricular performance after subarachnoid hemorrhage. In severely affected patients, reduction of cardiac output from normally elevated levels may increase the risk of cerebral ischemia related to vasospasm.