Key result
Exposure to pepper spray triggered coronary spasm resulting in ventricular fibrillation in a healthy 21-year-old man.
Why the study?
Pepper spray has been thought to be safe despite reports of 27 deaths in police custody following exposure.
Does pepper spray exposure cause ventricular fibrillation in healthy individuals?
Case Report (n=1)
Does pepper spray exposure cause ventricular fibrillation in healthy individuals?
Pepper spray exposure may trigger coronary spasm leading to life-threatening ventricular fibrillation, even in young individuals without underlying heart disease.
Pepper spray exposure may trigger VF via spasm even in healthy young adults; single case leaves open causality and should not change practice.
Pepper spray is used as a crowd control agent and for self-defense. It has been thought to be safe; however, 27 persons have died in police custody after exposure to pepper spray. We report on a 21-year-old man, with no underlying heart disease and a normal ECG and echocardiogram in the past, who was pepper sprayed and developed ventricular fibrillation. An admission ECG showed marked ST segment elevation but subsequent coronary arteriography was normal. We hypothesize that pepper spray triggered coronary spasm, resulting in ventricular fibrillation. This report adds to a body of information that pepper spray is dangerous.
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Lechner et al. (2020) conducted a case report in Ventricular fibrillation (n=1). Pepper spray was evaluated on Ventricular fibrillation due to coronary spasm. Exposure to pepper spray triggered coronary spasm resulting in ventricular fibrillation in a healthy 21-year-old man.
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