title: Arrhythmia during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
abstract: A prospective study of arrhythmia during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed in 50 patients, using an EDAP LT01 piezoelectric lithotriptor. The 12-lead standard ECG was recorded continuously for 10 min before and during treatment. One or more atrial and/or ventricular ectopic beats occurred during ESWL in 15 cases (30%). The occurrence of arrhythmia was similar during right-sided and left-sided treatment. One patient developed multifocal ventricular premature beats and ventricular bigeminy; another had cardiac arrest for 13.5 s. It was found that various irregularities of the heart rhythm can be caused even by treatment with a lithotriptor using piezoelectric energy to create the shock wave. No evidence was found, however, that the shock wave itself rather than vagal activation and the action of sedo-analgesia was the cause of the arrhythmia. For patients with severe underlying heart disease and a history of complex arrhythmia, we suggest that the ECG be monitored during treatment. In other cases, we have found continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation and pulse rate with a pulse oximeter to be perfectly reliable for raising the alarm when depression of respiration and vaso-vagal reactions occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shanghai No. 6 People's Hospital, China.
authors.forename: Z R
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindstedt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roijer
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Olsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000628:therapy; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013616:Tachycardia, Sinus / Q000209:etiology