Subarachnoid hemorrhage–induced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with ST-segment elevation from the electrocardiogram: Two case reports

Abstract

Introduction: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a critical disease, and people may get mortality on SAH. Another severe disease induced cardiac arrest is acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and our two cases share the typical characteristics of ACS electrocardiogram (ECG) with ST-segment elevation. The experience is rare and educable, so we present this article to remind emergency physicians in similar cases. Case presentation: Two post-resuscitation electrocardiogram (ECG)-proven cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) revealed ST-segment elevation. Discussion: However, the etiology of the arrest was proven to be subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the Emergency Department. In this article, we shared ECGs and brain CT scans as a reminder to ED doctors to bear in mind other differential diagnoses when ECGs show ST-segment elevation post-resuscitation. Conclusion: Cases such as these alert frontline ED physicians to the possibility of SAH in cardiac arrest patients and the potentially lethal consequence of inappropriate treatment.