Cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation as a complication occurRing during rigid bronchoscopic laser therapy.
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.
D'Aloia
A
A
University of Brescia.
Faggiano
P
P
Fiorina
C
C
Vizzardi
E
E
Cavaliere
S
S
Foccoli
P
P
Bignotti
T
T
Dei Cas
L
L
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*