In cardiac arrest, if the initial rhythm is ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, the survival rates are high and good neurologic outcomes are expected. However, the mortality rate increases when refractory ventricular fibrillation (RVF) occurs. We report a case of RVF that was successfully resuscitated with double sequence defibrillation (DSD). A 51-year-old man visited the emergency department with chest pain. The initial electrocardiography showed markedly elevated ST-segment on V1–V5 leads, and VF arrest occurred. Although 10 defibrillations were administered over 20 minutes, there was no response. Two rounds of DSD were performed by placing additional pads on the patient’s anterior-posterior areas and sequentially applying the maximum energy setting. The patient returned to spontaneous circulation and was discharged with cerebral performance category 1 after 14 days of hospital admission. Therefore, DSD could be an option for treatment and termination of RVF.
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Keep shocking: Double sequential defibrillation for refractory ventricular fibrillation Ahmed Kamal Mohamed, Mohamed Shakaib Nayaz, Ali Nawaz, Carl B Kapadia The American Journal of Emergency Medicine.2023; 63: 178.e5. CrossRef
A 51-year-old male patient was referred for a sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, he was conscious and had no chest pain complaints. There was no abnormality in initial electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations. However, episodes of recurrent ventricular fibrillation (VF) were documented on rhythm monitoring. Each VF episode was triggered by an isolated monomorphic ventricular premature complex (VPC).
Suspecting idiopathic VF, emergency radiofrequency catheter ablation was planned for the VPCs. However, when coronary angiography was performed to exclude silent ischemia, the results showed a total occlusion of the right coronary artery posterolateral branch, which is thought to supply the left ventricular inferior and septal wall. After successful reperfusion, VF episodes and the triggering VPCs disappeared. We are documenting this case to emphasize the potential for silent myocardial infarction to cause out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest even in a patient without any symptom or sign of acute coronary syndrome.
Ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest rarely occur after local application of epinephrine. Local and superficial application of epinephrine is a common hemostatic method during bronchoscopy, especially after biopsies. Although high plasma levels following endobronchial application of epinephrine have been observed in previous animal studies, there is no report of ventricular fibrillation after a usual dose of endobronchial application of epinephrine during bronchoscopy. We present a case of endobronchial epinephrine-induced ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest in a 31-year-old man with no previous history of cardiac disease.
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Stress Related Cardiomyopathy during Flexible Bronchoscopy Jung Ar Shin, Ji Yoon Ha, Sang Yong Kim, Byoung Kwon Lee, Hyung Jung Kim, Chul Min Ahn, Yoon Soo Chang Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2013; 28(2): 127. CrossRef