The central role of CT coronary angiography in postcardiac arrest care in the young adult.
Ayisha Mehtab Khan-KheilAlexandra Sophie MossLeanne StephensJamal Nasir KhanPublished in: BMJ case reports (2019)
A 32-year-old man with no medical history went into ventricular fibrillation while running at the gym. He was transferred to our tertiary centre post successful resuscitation where admission electrocardiography and echocardiography were unremarkable. The initial cause of cardiac arrest was suspected arrhythmogenic and he was admitted for further investigations including exercise testing, ajmaline challenge, CT coronary angiography (CTCA) and cardiovascular MRI, with the likely outcome of cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. CTCA, however, revealed significant stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending artery as the likely cause for his arrest. Invasive coronary angiography confirmed this and facilitated successful stent implantation, avoiding the need for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. This case highlights the importance of CTCA, a non-invasive and readily-available test in the investigation of young patients postcardiac arrest, who require active exclusion of coronary artery disease and anomalous coronary anatomy, though they represent a low-risk population group.
Keyphrases
- cardiac arrest
- coronary artery disease
- contrast enhanced
- computed tomography
- healthcare
- cell cycle
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- end stage renal disease
- young adults
- left ventricular
- high intensity
- magnetic resonance imaging
- image quality
- newly diagnosed
- heart failure
- emergency department
- ejection fraction
- palliative care
- dual energy
- chronic kidney disease
- prognostic factors
- cardiovascular events
- peritoneal dialysis
- percutaneous coronary intervention
- single cell
- acute coronary syndrome
- middle aged
- health insurance
- childhood cancer