Non-invasive assessment of cardiac function in meningitis

Non-invasive registration of systolic time intervals (STI) and ECG were used in evaluating cardiac function in 12 patients with bacterial and 16 with viral meningitis. On admission, 14 (50%) of the patients had abnormal STI. The preejection period (PEP) was prolonged in 11 patients, while left ventricular ejection time (LVET) was prolonged in two and shortened in four. The PEP/LVET index was increased in eight patients. At discharge PEP was still prolonged in eight patients; seven of these were from the viral meningitis group. LVET increased significantly (p less than 0.02) from the first to the last registration. In the patients with abnormal PEP and PEP/LVET on admission, there was a significant fall (p less than 0.05 and p = 0.02, respectively) to discharge. There was no difference in STI between the patients with viral or bacterial meningitis. Eighteen (64%) of the patients had abnormal STI on one or more registration. ST-T changes in ECG and prolongation of the Q-T interval were found in three patients. Cardiac affection in meningitis seems to occur more often than can be shown by ECG.