Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Case Report: Adenosine Induced Ventricular Fibrillation in a Patient with Stable Ventricular Tachycardia

  • Published:
Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Adenosine is frequently used in emergency departments and intensive care units for the termination of narrow complex tachycardias. Recently its utility in terminating wide complex tachycardias has been reported in the literature. Adenosine is generally felt to be a safe medication even though its proarrhythmic effects in the setting of narrow complex or supraventricular tachycardias have been well documented. Herein, we describe the first case to our knowledge of adenosine inducing ventricular fibrillation in a patient with a stable wide complex tachycardia that was subsequently proven to be ventricular tachycardia at electrophysiologic study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Honey RM, Rithcie WT, Thomson WA. The actions of adenosine upon the human heart. Q JM1930;23:485-489

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. DiMarco JP, Sellers TD, Lerman BB, et al. Diagnostic and therapeutic use of adenosine in patients with supraventricular tachycardia. J Am Coll Cardiol1985;6:417-425.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hina K, Kusachi S, Takaishi A, et al. Effects of adenosine triphosphate on wide QRS tachycardia. Japanese Heart Journal1996;37:463-470.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lerman BB, Stein KM, Markowitz SM. Adenosinesensitive ventricular tachycardia: A conceptual approach. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol1996;7:559-569.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lerman BB, Stein KM, Markowitz SM, et al. Catecholamine facilitated reentrant ventricular tachycardia: Uncoupling of adenosine's antiadrenergic effects. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol1999;10:17-16.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Smith IR, Goldberger JJ, Kadish AH. Adenosine induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in adults without structural heart disease. PACE1997;20:743-745.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ben-Sorek ES, Wiesel J. Ventricular fibrillation following adenosine administration. Arch Intern Med1993;153:2701-2702.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Exner DU, Muzyka T, Gillis AM. Proarrhythmia in patients with the Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome after standard doses of intravenous adenosine. Ann Int Med1995;122:351-352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sharma AD, Klein GJ, Yee R. Intravenous adenosine triphosphate during wide QRS complex tachycardia: safety, therapeutic efficacy, and diagnostic utility. Am J Med1990;88:337-343.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Botteron GW, Smith JM. Spatial and temporal inhomogeneity of adenosine's effect on atrial refractoriness in humans: Using atrial fibrillation to probe atrial refractoriness. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol1994; 5:477-484.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Biaggoni I, Killian TJ, Mosqueda-Garcia R, et al. Adenosine increases sympathetic nerve traffic in humans. Circulation1991;83:1668-1675.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri

    Walter A. Parham, Ali A. Mehdirad, Kurt M. Biermann & Carey S. Fredman

Authors
  1. Walter A. Parham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ali A. Mehdirad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kurt M. Biermann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carey S. Fredman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Parham, W.A., Mehdirad, A.A., Biermann, K.M. et al. Case Report: Adenosine Induced Ventricular Fibrillation in a Patient with Stable Ventricular Tachycardia. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 5, 71–74 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009810025584

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009810025584

Search

Navigation