A case of electrical storm in a liver transplant patient.
Electrical storm has not been well described in liver transplant patients. We present a case of sympathetically mediated recurrent ventricular fibrillation in a young patient transplanted for acute Wilson's disease. This case highlights the role of the sympathetic nervous system in causing electrical storm and it demonstrates the ability of beta-blocking agents to terminate the event. In young liver transplant patients, beta-blocking agents should be considered for therapy of perioperative electrical storm if there is no known structural or coronary heart disease and when there are no risk factors for, or evidences of, torsades de pointes.
Schmidt
T D
TD
Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. schmi016@mc.duke.edu
Muir
A J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D008790:Metoprolol