The Value of Simultaneous Electrocardiography Recording in the EEG Laboratory

The aim of the current study was to assess the value of simultaneous EKG with EEG to diagnose cardiac disorders in patients with seizure- like attacks and to investigate the extent of misdiagnosis of epilepsy. 210 patients presenting with transient loss of consciousness (TLoC) and paroxysmal events suspicious to seizure were studied. All patients had undergone EEG simultaneous with an EKG. Besides reporting the EEG, a cardiologist analyzed the EKG in an attempt to recognize abnormal EKG as a potential cause of TLoC. Moreover, in all patients it was ascertained if any cardiac disorders in patients and their first degree relatives had been diagnosed. Sixteen out of two hundred ten (7.6%) patients had abnormal EKG which was significantly potential cause of symptom of whom 6 patients were found to have bradycardia and 10 patients had dysrhythmias. Moreover, in patients with previous cardiovascular disorder, 30.4% had abnormal EKG where as in patients without cardiac disease only 4.8% had EKG abnormalities. Besides in patients with positive family history for cardiac disease 20.3% had abnormal EKG while in patients without family history of cardiac disease, abnormal EKG was revealed in only 2.05% patients. Simultaneous EKG with EEG is valuable in declining rate of misdiagnosis of epilepsy. Besides, EKG abnormalities in these patients have a significant association with any previous cardiovascular disorders in the patients and in their first degree relatives.