Blackout? cause: misdiagnosis of cardiac arrest

An unusual cause for cardiac arrest.

We report a case of organophosphate poisoning presenting as a cardiac arrest. The diagnosis was delayed due to the absence of a history of insecticide ingestion and the unusually acute presentation. Cardiac arrest with bradycardia poorly responsive to adrenaline and responsive to high dose atropine should alert the clinician to the possibility of an anticholinesterase poisoning. Early diagnosis...

The Aassociation between Pre-Cardiac Arrest Comorbidity and Unsuccessful Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Patients with Cardiac Arrest

Background and Objective: Patients suffering from cardiac arrest (CA) have poor prognosis and survival. The association of pre-arrest comorbidity with unsuccessful resuscitation in patients with CA is far from clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between pre-existing comorbidity and unsuccessful resuscitation following CA in Iranian patients. Materials and Met...

How to diagnose the cause of sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac death or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is defined as natural death that occurs within an hour of the onset of acute symptoms or during sleep due to a primary cardiac cause. Most cases of SCA are attributable to coronary artery disease, with occult cardiomyopathy or inheritable arrhythmic syndromes accounting for a minority of SCA. Diagnosing the cause of SCA has potential implicati...

Fatal chloroquine poisoning: a rare cause of sudden cardiac arrest.

electrocardiogram (ECG) showed sinus tachycardia of 102 beats/minute with a QT interval (QTC) of 372 ms. Potassium levels were corrected overnight with 120 mmol/L of IV potassium. Her progress in intensive care unit (ICU) was poor. Neurological exam post-arrest showed fi xed and dilated pupils, negative corneal and oculocephalic reflexes and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 3. She remained haemodyna...

Application of ultrasound in pulseless electrical activity (PEA) cardiac arrest