Case Report - Journal of Hypertension and Heart Care (2021) Volume 4, Issue 1

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy due to profound hypoglycemia complicated by torsades de pointes and cardiac arrest.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by temporary left ventricular dysfunction generally in the setting of physical or emotional stress. This case describes a patient originally admitted for altered mental status due to presumed uremic encephalopathy who developed prolonged QT_c leading to torsades de pointes and ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) arrest during her hospital stay, with echocardiographic evidence of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It should be recognized by clinicians that stress-induced cardiomyopathy can by precipitated by metabolic derangements such as severe hypoglycemia or heroin withdrawal and complicated by significant arrhythmic events such as torsades de pointes and ventricular fibrillation.

Author(s): Vitaly Buza, Michael O'Shaughnessy, Julius M Gardin, Mark Klapholz

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