Open AccessVentricular Tachycardia With Hemodynamic Instability Refractory to Cardioversion: A Case Report
Author(s) -
Chou ChunJen,
Lee CheeSiong,
Lai WenTer
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.439
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2410-8650
pISSN - 1607-551X
DOI - 10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70574-1
Subject(s) - medicine , cardioversion , cardiology , ventricular tachycardia , tachycardia , refractory (planetary science) , electrical cardioversion , hemodynamics , qrs complex , anesthesia , atrial fibrillation , physics , astrobiology
Accurate diagnosis of wide QRS complex tachycardia is difficult in emergent situations. According to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) tachycardia algorithm of the American Heart Association, immediate synchronized cardioversion should be applied to patients with wide QRS tachycardia with any evidence of hemodynamic instability. However, this may not be appropriate in all patients, especially those with idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia. In our patient, repetitively synchronized cardioversion failed to convert the arrhythmia. It is important for emergency physicians to recognize the electrocardiographic features of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia and to manage these patients appropriately.