Abstracts

Rationale: Ictal and interictal ECG abnormalities are not rare in epilepsy patients. The diagnosis of these arrhythmias can be important during follow up, especially in video-EEG monitoring unit, like; prediction of lateralization-localization of epileptic origin and choosing of antiepileptic drugs. Furthermore cardiac arrhytmias and epileptic seizure may have same etiology like channelopathy. The aim of our study was definition of arrhythmias during simultaneous routine EEG- ECG recordings and the effect of this on follow up of the patients. Methods: The keywords related to cardiac arrhythmia have been searched in all EEG recording reports between January 2011-February 2012. The demographic features, diagnosis or pre-diagnosis of patients during routine EEG recordings have been obtained from Hospital Data System. We have also evaluated the EEG-ECG recordings of patients having arrhythmia and searched for long QT interval. Results: In all 2136 EEG reports, 48 (2%) of them included keywords related to cardiac arrhytmias. 25 of 48 patients were female and the mean age of all was 53. 18 of 48 patients had exstrasystole, 14 had tacycardia. 13 reports had no detail about type of arrhythmia, only noted as arrhythmia and 3 patients had bloc or bradiarrhythmia. After routine EEG recordings, 6 patients underwent to cardiology follow up in our center. 1 patient with an asystole during EEG recording had treated via a pace-maker. Furthermore, 5 of 48 patients had also long QT interval. Conclusions: ECG electrodes and chanelles should be included routine EEG recordings. Cardiac arrhytmias can easily be diagnosed and change the management of the patients.