Open AccessWhen Options are Limited: Case Report of an Ultrasound Guided Stellate Ganglion Block at Bedside
Author(s) -
Kim Nguyen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
interventional pain management reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2575-9841
DOI - 10.36076/pmcr.2021/5/45
Subject(s) - medicine , stellate ganglion , ventricular tachycardia , magnetic resonance imaging , refractory (planetary science) , fluoroscopy , radiology , ablation , intensive care unit , ultrasound , cardiology , pathology , physics , alternative medicine , astrobiology
Background: Stellate ganglion block is an option for refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Approaches include usinganatomical landmarks or image-guidance with fluoroscopy, computerized tomography, magnetic resonanceimaging, or ultrasonography.Case Report: We describe a case of a 70-year-old man with multiple comorbidities presenting with sustained ventriculartachycardia (VT) who received a cervical sympathetic chain block at bedside. This resulted in ablation ofhis refractory VT and return to a paced rhythm, allowing him to be discharged from the intensive careunit.Conclusion: This case shows the advantages of targeting the cervical sympathetic chain to block the stellate ganglionin a high-risk patient. Doing the procedure under ultrasound guidance allows for real-time visualizationwith the advantage of being performed at the bedside. Therefore, a cervical sympathetic chain blockshould be considered for treatment of refractory ventricular arrhythmias.Key words: Cervical sympathetic chain, refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmia, stellate ganglion block, ultrasoundguidance