Ventricular fibrillation during general anaesthesia in a seven-year-old patient with mitral valve prolapse

Abstract

A case report is presented of a seven-year-old boy who developed ventricular fibrillation during general anaesthesia with atracurium, O2, N2O and halothane, following tracheal intubation for hypospadias revision. He spontaneously defibrillated and the surgery was cancelled. Echocardiography done two days later was normal. The patient returned two weeks later for the same procedure. He developed nodal tachycardia, and premature ventricular contractions, which responded to lidocaine. A second echocardiographic examination done postoperatively while the child as crying showed mitral valve prolapse. © 1986 Canadian Anesthesiologists.