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Catecholamine‐induced cardiomyopathy resulting from life‐threatening funnel‐web spider envenoming
Author(s) -
Isbister Geoffrey K,
Sellors Kate V,
Beckmann Ursula,
Chiew Angela L,
Downes Michael A,
Berling Ingrid
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja15.00279
Subject(s) - spider , catecholamine , cardiomyopathy , content (measure theory) , world wide web , computer science , psychology , biology , medicine , neuroscience , zoology , heart failure , mathematics , mathematical analysis
Wepresent twocasesof cardiomyopathy in life-threatening funnel-webspider envenoming.A33-yearoldman bitten by amale Sydney funnel-web spider developed autonomic and neuromuscular excess, pulmonary oedema, hypotension and cardiogenic shock. Hewas treatedwith antivenom, dobutamine, noradrenaline and high-dose insulin, and recovered over 4 days. Echocardiograms showed severe systolic dysfunction, andhigh catecholamineconcentrationsweremeasured in his blood. A 13-year-old girl developed cardiogenic shock after a funnel-web spider bite, confirmed on echocardiogram treated with antivenom and dobutamine. Funnel-web spider envenoming appears to cause catecholamineinduced cardiomyopathy and cardiogenic pulmonary oedema resulting from catecholamine excess. Antivenom did not reverse the cardiomyopathy.