Key result
Intravenous diazepam anesthesia for elective cardioversion was associated with severe ventricular arrhythmias in two patients, including ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
Why the study?
Does intravenous diazepam anesthesia cause ventricular arrhythmias in patients undergoing elective cardioversion for atrial fibrillation?
Case Report (n=2)
Does intravenous diazepam anesthesia cause ventricular arrhythmias in patients undergoing elective cardioversion for atrial fibrillation?
The use of diazepam for anesthesia during cardioversion does not eliminate the risk of severe ventricular arrhythmias, necessitating preparedness for resuscitation.
Warrants arrhythmia preparedness during diazepam cardioversion; hypothesis-generating for causality in larger studies.
Two patients undergoing elective cardioversion for atrial fibrillation received diazepam anesthesia intravenously. One patient developed ventricular fibrillation prior to countershock while receiving diazepam and the other developed a short run of ventricular tachycardia following a 100 watt-second shock under diazepam anesthesia. It is thus unlikely that the use of diazepam will allow one to undertake cardioversion without being prepared to cope with all aspects of the occasional catastrophic arrhythmia.
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J. S. Barrett (1970) conducted a case report in Atrial fibrillation (n=2). Intravenous diazepam anesthesia was evaluated on Ventricular arrhythmias. Intravenous diazepam anesthesia for elective cardioversion was associated with severe ventricular arrhythmias in two patients, including ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
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