Succinylcholine Administration and Resultant Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia: A Case Report of Communication Breakdown During an Emergent Intubation

Abstract

Poor communication continues to be one of the leading root causes of sentinel events in the United States annually. This case report documents a miscommunication that occurred during the management of a patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and acute respiratory failure requiring emergent intubation, which resulted in a transient hyperkalemia and subsequent cardiac arrest.