title: Left stellate ganglion blockade for the management of drug-resistant electrical storm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrical storm (ES) is a syndrome characterized by rapidly recurrent ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia. The most common precipitants include ongoing or recent myocardial ischemia, exacerbating congestive heart failure, arrhythmogenic medications, and electrolyte disturbances.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We describe the case of a patient who developed ES seventy-two hours status post triple vessel coronary artery bypass grafting that did not respond to conservative treatment and required approximately 70 electrical shocks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patient was rapidly stabilized following left stellate ganglion blockade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Division of Pain Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. rishin.apatel@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Rishin A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Priore
authors.forename: Wilson Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: Kieran A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Slevin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*