Sudden cardiac arrest after late permanent pacemaker implantation in a heart transplant patient

Abstract

Bradycardia during the early period following heart transplantation frequently occurs with an incidence of 14 to 44% and it is usually self-limited. The incidence of late bradycardia (from 30 days to more than 5 or 6 months after transplantation) has been reported to be 1.5%. A 33-year-old male patient with a history of orthotopic heart transplantation in 2013 presented with complaints of dizziness and near syncope. A DDDR permanent pacemaker was implanted for sinus pauses exceeding 3 seconds recorded on Holter examination. Shortly after the procedure, he developed sudden cardiovascular collapse. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed and a pulse steroid treatment (2 grams of methylprednisolone) was given. After 2 days, the patient was extubated. While making preparations for re-transplantation, cardiopulmonary arrest developed again and he died. Sinus pause may be a clue for rejection and is an important finding in predicting clinical course.

Keywords

• heart transplantation
• permanent pacemaker
• rejection