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Prolonged spasm of the left anterior descending coronary artery

Mehmed Kulic1, Elnur Tahirovic, Anes Sosevic

  • 1Heart Center, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. kulicm@gmail.com

Medical Archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
|July 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Prolonged coronary artery spasm, specifically in the left anterior descending artery, can cause cardiac arrest. Prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation successfully restored the patient

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Coronary artery spasm is a recognized cause of anginal chest pain.
  • Spasm can lead to serious cardiac events.

Observation:

  • A case of prolonged left anterior descending coronary artery spasm occurred during coronary angiography.
  • This event resulted in cardiac arrest, characterized by pulselessness, hypotension, syncope, and ventricular fibrillation on ECG.

Findings:

  • Successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation lasting one hour restored normal pulse and blood pressure.
  • Immediate repeat coronary angiography revealed a normal coronary angiogram, indicating the spasm was transient.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the potential for severe, transient coronary artery spasm during invasive procedures.
  • It underscores the importance of prompt recognition and resuscitation in managing such critical events.
  • Patients can recover without neurological deficits following successful resuscitation from spasm-induced cardiac arrest.

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