Wide-complex tachycardia as the presenting complaint in a case of malingering.
Fabrications of lethal dysrhythmias are an extremely rare manifestation of malingering, with only one case described more than two decades ago. Recognition of this clinical entity is important because the diagnosis may be difficult to make, therapeutic implications for the patient are significant, and financial consequences of misdiagnosis are considerable. In this case report, we present an unusual example of malingering, in which a patient intentionally mimicked repeated episodes of unstable wide-complex ventricular tachycardia, by tapping on the chest wall cardiac leads, while feigning concurrent episodes of chest pain.
Kefalas
Stephen
S
Department of Emergency Medicine, Bellevue/ NYU Hospitals, New York, New York 10016, USA.
Ezenkwele
Ugo
U
D000328:Adult; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000523:psychology*