[Cerebral hypoperfusion symptoms in elderly subjects with hyperkinetic and/or hypokinetic arrhythmia. Study of institutionalized and non- institutionalized patients].
BACKGROUND
We evaluated the symptomatology caused by cerebral hypoperfusion in a group of over-65 year old hospitalized and non-patients, with hyperkinetic and hypokinetic arrhythmias.


METHODS
2441 clinical records of hospitalized and ambulatory patients at the unit of Cardiology, "Pugliese-Ciaccio" Hospital of Catanzaro between January 1st 1991 and March 31st 1995 were examined. The clinical records of those patients who had showed anamnestic episodes of syncope, lipothymia and dizziness were selected. The selected sample was made of 36 hospitalized patients and 36 ambulatory patients. The Holter-ECGs of these patients were examined.


RESULTS
Six episodes of syncope (16.7%) were found in the hospitalized patients and 4 in the ambulatory patients (11.1%). Ten (27.8%) and 8 (22.2%) episodes of lipothymia, were found in the hospitalized and ambulatory patients respectively. Dizziness was found in 20 (55.5%) hospitalized and in 24 (66.6%) ambulatory patients. In all the patients the symptoms appeared during the recording and were linked to hyperkinetic arrhythmias in 22 (61.1%) hospitalized patients and in 25 (69.4%) ambulatory patients and to hypokinetic arrhythmias in 14 (39.9%) and 11 (30.5%) hospitalized and ambulatory patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study pointed out that patients with hyperkinetic arrhythmias (both hospitalized and ambulatory) show symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion more frequently than those with hyperkinetic arrhythmias.
Rossi
M G
MG
Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi, Reggio Calabria.
Gareri
P
P
Lacava
R
R
Belmonte
M
M
Mattace Raso
F
F
Mattace
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged