Title: Electrocardiographic Changes at the Early Stage of Status Epilepticus: First Insights From the ICTAL Registry.

 

As the song goes: “the thigh bone is connected to the hip bone, the hip bone is connected to the back bone.” It turns out that the brain electrical activities are also connected to the heart conduction activities.

In a multi-center (23 French ICUs) retrospective analysis of 155 critically ill patients with status epilepticus, ECGs were done within 24 hours of onset of status epilepticus, and were independently reviewed by cardiologists showed abnormalities in 145 (93.5%) of patients.

Below is a list of events that occurred more than 10% of events.

Abnormal rate (<60 or > 100 beats/min         64 (44%)

Negative T-waves                                           61 (42%)

Flattened T-waves                                           18 (12%)

ST elevation                                                    24 (16.6%)

ST depression                                                 26 (17.9%)

Left axis deviation                                          22 (15.9%)

 

Discussion:

Major ECG abnormalities were not associated with 90-day functional outcome in multivariable logistic regression.

The brain-heart axis could be affected by antiseizure medication. For example, phenytoin, lacosamide are sodium channel blockers while benzodiazepines, propofol, barbiturates with their GABAnergic effects will also display cardiac side effects.  This current study was not able to tease out whether the cardiac effects were from medication. Therefore, further studies are needed to figure out the cardiac effect for patients with status epilepticus.

References

Chinardet P, Gilles F, Cochet H, Chelly J, Quenot JP, Jacq G, Soulier P, Lesieur O, Beuret P, Holleville M, Bruel C, Bailly P, Sauneuf B, Sejourne C, Galbois A, Fontaine C, Perier F, Pichon N, Arrayago M, Mongardon N, Schnell D, Lascarrou JB, Convers R, Legriel S. Electrocardiographic Changes at the Early Stage of Status Epilepticus: First Insights From the ICTAL Registry. Crit Care Med. 2023 Mar 1;51(3):388-400. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000005768. Epub 2022 Dec 19. PMID: 36533915.