Ventricular fibrillation during anesthesia in a Wenchuan earthquake victim with crush syndrome

We cared for a victim of the Wenchuan earthquake who was rescued after being buried in rubble for 52 hours. On admission to the hospital, the patient had severe hyperkalemic acidosis and necrosis of both legs, requiring bilateral amputation. In the operating room, the patient developed ventricular fibrillation. The patient was resuscitated and recovered without significant systemic injury. We review the diagnosis and treatment of crush syndrome, which occurs in many victims of natural disasters.