Risk of fatal sinus arrest induced by low-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage: A case of a young patient with obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND: Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are both considered possible causes of secondary arrhythmias. However, there are limited reports on the increased risk of bradyarrhythmia for arrhythmia-free SAS patients with SAH. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 31-year-old woman with SAS developed low-grade SAH and underwent coil embolization on postbleed day 1. Following a coiling procedure, she experienced worsening episodes of sinus arrest lasting up to 12 s and required a temporary pacemaker. Frequent episodes of sinus arrest were detected for the next 4 days. Thereafter, all types of arrhythmias gradually decreased, and she eventually recovered to be arrhythmia free. CONCLUSION: Acceleration of sympathetic nervous activity caused by acute SAH may predispose patients to bradyarrhythmia with SAS and elicit asystole. The coexistence of SAS and SAH should be recognized as a cause of life-threatening sinus arrest, even if the severity of SAH is low grade.