title: Ventricular tachycardia with hemodynamic instability refractory to cardioversion: a case report.
abstract: Accurate diagnosis of wide QRS complex tachycardia is difficult in emergent situations. According to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) tachycardia algorithm of the American Heart Association, immediate synchronized cardioversion should be applied to patients with wide QRS tachycardia with any evidence of hemodynamic instability. However, this may not be appropriate in all patients, especially those with idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia. In our patient, repetitively synchronized cardioversion failed to convert the arrhythmia. It is important for emergency physicians to recognize the electrocardiographic features of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia and to manage these patients appropriately.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Chun-Jen
authors: CJ
authors: Chou
authors: Chee-Siong
authors: CS
authors: Lee
authors: Wen-Ter
authors: WT
authors: Lai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004554:Electric Countershock; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*