title: Cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation as a complication occurRing during rigid bronchoscopic laser therapy.
abstract: Laser bronchoscopy is a usually well tolerated procedure for the treatment of obstructive lesions on the tracheobronchial tree, with a very low morbidity and mortality rate. Cardiovascular complications, including atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and myocardial ischemia, have only rarely been reported during laser bronchoscopy. Cardiac arrhythmias during such a procedure are usually well tolerated but occasionally may be life threatening. Here we report a case of a young, female patient affected by Pulmonary Tuberculosis with a cicatricial stenosis of the left main bronchus who developed an episode of prolonged cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation (and no signs of acute myocardial ischemia) during rigid broncoscopic laser-therapy. Underlying Coronary Artery Disease and other cardiac abnormalities were also excluded by subsequent cardiovascular examination. The clinical implications are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Brescia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Aloia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Faggiano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorina
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizzardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavaliere
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foccoli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bignotti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dei Cas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*