[Ambulatory Electrocardiogram In Stroke Patients At The University Hospital Of Brazzaville: 81 Cases]

To assess the value of Holter ECG in the assessment of patients experiencing ischemic stroke.

This was a prospective descriptive study conducted in the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital Center in Brazzaville between June 2011 and June 2012.

There were 53 men (63.9%) and 30 women (36.1%), mean age 60.6 ± 12.7 years (range = 20 to 85 years). The average body mass index was of 26.9 ± 4.6 (range = 15.6 and 35.3). Patients were obese in 19 cases (22.8%), overweight in 16 cases (19.2%). Hypertension was found in 44 patients (53%), diabetes mellitus in 14 patients (16.8%), dyslipidemia, smoking, respectively, six (7.2%) and one case. The Holter ECG performed in 81 patients showed: sinus rhythm in 78 cases (96.3%), an average frequency of 79.1 ± 17.6 beats per minute (range = 50 to 163 years), atrial fibrillation in seven cases (8.6%), one case of atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia bursts in 14 cases (17.2%), supraventricular extrasystoles in 78 cases (96.3%), 65 cases (80.2%) with doublets and 27 cases (33.3%) with triplets. In 35 cases, there were more than 70 supraventricular extrasystoles per 24 hours. Ventricular extrasystoles were present in 59 cases (72.8%), including 24 cases of doublets (29.6%), 14 cases (17.2%) of bigeminy and three cases of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Breaks were significant in both cases. The study of HRV showed a 100.4 ± 45.8 to SDNN ms (range = 20 to 206 ms), 44 patients (54.3%) had impaired heart rate variability in 44 (54.3%).

The ischemic stroke is a serious life-threatening and functional. Administering a Holter ECG is essential to find a cardioembolic cause, allowing for the most appropriate treatment.