[A case of cardiogenic syncope in a drug-addict patient].
Torsade de pointes is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, associated with prolonged QT interval and characterized by twisting of the mean electrical axis of the QRS complexes around an isoelectric line. The long QT syndrome can be divided into two categories, congenital and acquired. The congenital long QT syndrome may be caused by some gene mutation, whereas the acquired form is usually associated with drugs and electrolyte imbalance. It usually remains asymptomatic or causes presyncope, although it may degenerate into ventricular fibrillation and may cause sudden death. The different presentation depends on the polymorphism that characterizes genotypic and phenotypic expression of proteic channel subunits, and on drug toxicity that provoke subunit dysfunction. The case report presented here is an example of prolonged QT interval syndrome in a patient with cocaine abuse and electrolyte disturbances.
Portale
Grazia
G
Dipartimento di Emergenza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma.
Straccamore
Federica
F
Mazzone
Marinella
M
Mirabella
Cristina
C
Carbone
Luigi
L
Pignataro
Giulia
G
Testa
Americo
A
Covino
Marcello
M
Gentiloni Silveri
Nicolò
N
D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004630:Emergencies; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D013575:Syncope / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D016171:Torsades de Pointes / Q000175:diagnosis