Key result
A young mountaineer who suffered sudden cardiac arrest at high altitude fully recovered with normalized left ventricular function within 2 weeks following CPR, defibrillation, and thrombolysis.
Case Report (n=1)
Highlights a case of sudden cardiac arrest at high altitude with transient severe left ventricular dysfunction and unobstructed coronaries, suggesting possible acute coronary thrombosis resolved by rapid thrombolysis.
Rapid recovery after thrombolysis in high-altitude SCA suggests reversible thrombosis; leaves open prospective validation before clinical adoption.
A young mountaineer suffered from sudden cardiac arrest at high altitude. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated immediately. After 30 min a rescue team arrived and successfully defibrillated ventricular fibrillation upon which spontaneous circulation returned. The subsequent ECG was suggestive of extensive anterior myocardial infarction. Therefore, the patient was thrombolysed and transferred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Echocardiography revealed severely reduced left ventricular function with antero-septo-apical akinesia. However, angiography showed unobstructed coronary arteries. The patient fully recovered and left ventricular function normalised within 2 weeks. It may be speculated that exposure to high altitude resulted in acute coronary thrombosis which dissolved by rapid thrombolysis.
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Indermuehle et al. (2010) conducted a case report in Sudden cardiac arrest at high altitude (n=1). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, and thrombolysis was evaluated on Survival and recovery of left ventricular function. A young mountaineer who suffered sudden cardiac arrest at high altitude fully recovered with normalized left ventricular function within 2 weeks following CPR, defibrillation, and thrombolysis.
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