Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine (Nov 2019)

Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest in Young Female from Diffuse Left Anterior Descending Coronary Vasospasm

  • Christopher J. Wilson,
  • Eric Melnychuk,
  • John Bernett

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5811/cpcem.2019.9.43762
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 4

Abstract

Read online

This is a case of the most severe and potentially fatal complication of coronary artery vasospasm. We report a case of a 40-year-old female presenting to the emergency department (ED) via emergency medical services with chest pain. The patient experienced a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest while in the ED. Post-defibrillation electrocardiogram showed changes suggestive of an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Cardiac catheterization showed severe left anterior descending spasm with no evidence of disease. Coronary vasospasm is a consideration in the differential causes of ventricular fibrillation and STEMI seen in the ED.