Cardiac arrest following myocardial infarction.
In-hospital cardiac arrest secondary to ventricular dysrhythmias following acute myocardial infarction remains a serious concern for hospital staff. One cause associated with this life-threatening problem is hypokalemia, which leads to electrical instability in myocardial cells resulting in primary ventricular fibrillation. In this article, a case study is presented that illustrates the hospital course of a patient with severe hypokalemia who experienced ventricular fibrillation immediately following admission to the emergency department.
Domenico
J M
JM
D003422:Critical Care; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*