Cardiac arrest identified by a chest CT scan in a patient with normal telemetry findings

Abstract

Early recognition of cardiac arrest has been linked traditionally to clinical signs and telemetry findings. Few case reports have presented normal telemetry findings in patients with cardiac arrest where a contrast enhanced CT scan of the chest was able to identify the diagnosis. The early recognition of a cardiac arrest whether by telemetry monitoring or CT scan is important to improve the clinical outcomes. This case report presents a patient who was hypertensive and unresponsive upon arrival to the emergency department. A chest CT scan to rule out aortic dissection showed no contrast in the pulmonary arteries, aorta, and the rest of the heart chambers although normal telemetry findings were present. Resuscitation was initiated, and patient survived with poor neurological recovery. Keywords: Cardiac arrest, Chest CT scan, Telemetry findings, Pulseless electrical activity