[Preoperative pulseless electrical activity of acute type A aortic dissection; report of a case].
An 80-year-old man with acute type A aortic dissection, who was preoperatively observed in the intensive care unit, suddenly became unresponsive. The patient was immediately intubated, but a pulse check was delayed because the cardiac monitor seemingly showed a normal sinus rhythm. Bedside echocardiography, while continuing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, revealed massive pericardial effusion. It indicated the patient's cardiac arrest was pulseless electrical activity (PEA) due to cardiac tamponade. After pericardiocentesis, a perfusion rhythm was restored with palpable distal pulse. He successfully underwent a prosthetic graft replacement of the ascending aorta and was discharged after physical rehabilitation.
Saitoh
H
H
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Niigata Kobari Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
Eguchi
S
S
Maruyama
Y
Y
Kansaku
R
R
Takae
H
H
Sagawa
N
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011674:Pulse