First Report of Survival in Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation After Dual-Axis Defibrillation and Esmolol Administration

West J Emerg Med. 2016 Nov;17(6):762-765. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2016.8.30351. Epub 2016 Oct 20.

Abstract

There is a subset of patients who suffer a witnessed ventricular fibrillation (VF) arrest and despite receiving reasonable care with medications (epinephrine and amiodarone) and multiple defibrillations (3+ attempts at 200 joules of biphasic current) remain in refractory VF (RVF), also known as electrical storm. The mortality for these patients is as high as 97%. We present the case of a patient who, with a novel approach, survived RVF to outpatient follow up.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists / administration & dosage*
  • Adrenergic beta-Agonists / therapeutic use
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
  • Electric Countershock / methods*
  • Epinephrine / therapeutic use
  • Heart Arrest
  • Humans
  • Propanolamines / administration & dosage*
  • Ventricular Fibrillation / drug therapy

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists
  • Adrenergic beta-Agonists
  • Propanolamines
  • esmolol
  • Epinephrine