Key result
Therapeutic hypothermia unmasks early repolarization syndrome and triggers refractory VF by exacerbating J-waves.
Why the study?
Therapeutic hypothermia is used after cardiac arrest but its effects on early repolarization syndrome and ventricular fibrillation are not well characterized.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Therapeutic hypothermia can unmask or exacerbate early repolarization syndrome, potentially triggering refractory ventricular fibrillation in cardiac arrest survivors.
Suggests J-wave monitoring during therapeutic hypothermia; single case leaves open broader applicability in early repolarization syndrome.
Patients presenting with aborted cardiac arrest who display early repolarization generally are diagnosed with early repolarization syndrome. Therapeutic hypothermia is a standard strategy to improve neurological outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest. We present here a patient in whom therapeutic hypothermia exacerbated the J-wave amplitude and morphology, which resulted in episodes of refractory ventricular fibrillation.
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Hasegawa et al. (2018) conducted a case report in Early repolarization syndrome and ventricular fibrillation (n=1). Therapeutic hypothermia was evaluated on Ventricular fibrillation occurrence and J-wave augmentation. Therapeutic hypothermia and a slower heart rate exacerbated J-wave amplitude and morphology, unmasking early repolarization syndrome and triggering refractory ventricular fibrillation.
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