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Resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation. Should the cath lab be activated?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He was defibrillated into VT. He then underwent dual sequential defibrillation into asystole. Then assume there is ACS. See these related cases: Cardiac arrest, defibrillated, diffuse ST depression and ST Elevation in aVR. This patient was witnessed by bystanders to collapse. They started CPR. sodium bicarbonate.

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Ventricular Fibrillation, ICD, LBBB, QRS of 210 ms, Positive Smith Modified Sgarbossa Criteria, and Pacemaker-Mediated Tachycardia

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He was defibrillated, but they also noticed that he was being internally defibrillated and then found that he had an implantable ICD. He was unidentified and there were no records available After 7 shocks, he was successfully defibrillated and brought to the ED. There was no bystander CPR. The QRS is extremely wide.

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Cardiac Arrest, acute ST elevation and depression superimposed on LVH, but NOT due to ACS

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He was resuscitated with chest compressions and defibrillation and 1 mg of epinephrine. ACS would be highly unusual in a young athlete, and given the information on his race bib, one must first suspect that the abnormal ST elevation is due to demand ischemia, not ACS. On his bib it stated that he had a congenital heart disorder.

ACS 52
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SGEM#344: We Will…We Will Cath You – But should We After An OHCA Without ST Elevations?

The Skeptics' Guide to EM

Defibrillation is the treatment of choice in these cases but does not often result in sustained ROSC ( Kudenchuk et al 2006). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is responsible for the majority (60%) of all OHCAs in patients. Half of these arrests are witnessed with the other half being un-witnessed.

EMR 130
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A 50-something with chest pain.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This is diagnostic of ACS; it appears to be a reperfused acute inferior OMI. VF was refractory to amiodarone, lidocaine, double-sequential defibrillation, esmolol, etc. Then the patient would have been taken to the critical care area with a defibrillator at his side while waiting for the cath lab to be ready.

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See what happens when a left main thrombus evolves from subtotal occlusion to total occlusion.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The ST segment changes are compatible with severe subendocardial ischemia which can be caused by type I MI from ACS or potentially from type II MI (non-obstructive coronary artery disease with supply/demand mismatch). The arrhythmia spontaneously converted before defibrillation was achieved.

Coronary 132
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2023 AHA Update on ACLS

EMDocs

With respect to timing, for cardiac arrest with a shockable rhythm, it may be reasonable to administer epinephrine after initial defibrillation attempts have failed. Consider administering epinephrine after defibrillation in those with shockable rhythms. COR 2b, LOE C-LD. COR 3, No benefit, LOE B-R. COR 2b, LOE B-R. COR 2b, LOE C-LD.