Table 2.
Yield of conventional electrocardiographic and transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation of patients by stroke subtype
|
Finding on ECG
#
/Echocardiogram* |
All stroke patients |
Cardioembolic stroke group |
Atherosclerotic stroke group |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | ||
|
Atrial fibrillation
#
|
56 (8.8) |
39 (69.6) |
17 (30.4) |
< .00 |
|
Atrial flutter
#
|
3 (0.5) |
3 (1.2) |
0 (0) |
0.06 |
|
Evidence of prior MI
#
|
37 (95.8) |
19 (951.4) |
18 (48.6) |
0.11 |
|
First degree AV block
#
|
46 (7.3) |
22 (47.8) |
24 (52.2) |
0.18 |
|
Left ventricular thrombus* |
15 (2.4) |
12 (80) |
3 (20) |
< .00 |
|
Left atrial thrombus* |
1 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.3) |
0.59 |
|
Vegetation* |
1 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.3) |
0.59 |
|
LVEF < 30%* |
68 (10.7) |
56 (82.4) |
12 (17.6) |
< .00 |
| Global segmental hypokinesia* | 108 (17.1) | 74 (68.5) | 34 (31.5) | < .00 |
Legend: Atrial flutter and fibrillation on 12- Lead EKG were clearly helpful, although low yield overall at 8.8% of the entire study group (56/633), Obvious echocardiographic predictors mostly ventricular based like thrombi, vegetations, EF reduction, and hypokinesia were actually also low yield.
# Findings on ECG.
* Findings on Echo cardiogram.