Cardiac Function Assessment By Echocardiography In Ischemic Stroke/Non Hemorrhagic Cerebral Infarction

Background: Every year, more than half a million people in the world suffer from acute cerebrovascular events, including ischemic stroke, intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage, giving a mortality of nearly 20%. Acute strokes, especially subarachnoid hemorrhage is frequently accompanied by a variety of electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities. Objective: To find out the cardiac function assessment by echocardiography in ischemic stroke/non hemorrhagic cerebral infarction. Material and Methods: An observational study was conducted in Department of Medicine and Cardiology, Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh from July to December-2019. 51 patients of ischemic stroke were taken and 2D transthoracic echocardiography was done to find potential cardioembolic abnormalities. Results: 74.5% of patients had echocardiographic abnormalities and 41.1% had potential cardioembolic abnormalities, out of which most common were ventricular wall hypokinesia, calcific aortic valve, rheumatic heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathy. The prevalence was almost similar in different age groups and both the sexes. Conclusion: Prevalence of potential cardioembolic abnormalities is high (41.1%) in ischemic stroke patients and 2D echocardiography is therefore recommended in the management and secondary prevention of cardioembolicstroke, which has a higher mortality and more chances of recurrence than atherothrombotic type of ischemicstroke.