Electrical storm of the heart: A shocking experience!

Abstract

For emergency physicians, the diagnosis, treatment, and management of unstable ventricular dysrhythmias are rather simple. These patients are dead or dying. They fall quite neatly into the advanced cardic life support (ACLS) algorithms which are firmly engrained in our resuscitative minds. However, those patients who are “stable-ish” are at risk for devolving into electrical anarchy and may continue to require repeated therapies (electrical or pharmacologic) for their symptomatic ventricular dysrhythmias. This patient population can be challenging to manage.