Abstract

Background
s: Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) causes a prolonged corrected QT(QTc) interval in 20~90% of patients, but whether this occurs with traumatic SAH(tSAH) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether QTc interval prolongation occurs with tSAH and to determine the value of the QTc prolongation in predicting poor outcome. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 63 patients with traumatic SAH. An ECG and initial computed tomography(CT) scan were the two major inclusion criteria. The primary end point was in hospital mortality. We correlated ECG changes(especially, QTc interval) with mortality and severity of hemorrhage expressed as CT grading scale. Results: Patients with QTc prolongation were more likely to have poor clinical outcome and had high in-hospital mortality(odds ratio=19.350(95% Confidence interval[CI] 2.627∼142.510, P=0.000)). Also serum potassium level of patients with QTc prolongation were lower than non-QTc prolongation. QTc interval had weak correlation with hemorrhage amount in brain CT. Conclusion: tSAH patients also showed QTc prolongation like spontaneous SAH. QTc prolongation was a good predictor of poor clinical outcome.

• Keywords: Traumatic SAH, QTc prolongation, Clinical outcome