Syncope in a patient being treated for hepatic and intestinal amoebiasis

Abstract

A 63-year-old man presented to our hospital with amoebic liver abscess and was treated successfully for the same. During the course of his treatment, he developed syncopal attacks and was found to have Torsades de Pointes on electrocardiogram. The patient was treated with intravenous magnesium and direct current cardioversion. Hypokalaemia, chloroquine and sepsis were suspected to have precipitated the arrhythmia. The patient remained arrhythmia-free following the correction of these factors. Copyright 2012 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.