Highlights the critical importance of recognizing long QT syndrome, which can be mistaken for epilepsy and fatally aggravated by common QT-prolonging medications.
May prompt ECG evaluation for LQTS in unexplained syncope or seizures; single case leaves open broader preventive strategies.
Long QT interval is an important finding that is often missed by electrocardiogram interpreters. Long QT syndrome (inherited and acquired) is a potentially lethal cardiac channelopathy that is frequently mistaken for epilepsy. We present a case of long QT syndrome with multiple cardiac arrests presenting as syncope and seizures. The long QTc interval was aggravated by hypomagnesaemia and drugs, including clarithromycin and levofloxacin. Multiple drugs can cause prolongation of the QT interval, and all physicians should bear this in mind when prescribing these drugs.
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Ambhore et al. (2014) studied this question.
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