Left ventricular free-wall rupture that occurred during a cardiopulmonary exercise test

Although exercise testing has become a standard procedure before discharge for patients with acute coronary syndrome, a fatal accident during the test is extremely rare. A 60-year-old man was admitted for a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. A coronary angiogram showed stenosis at the distal lesion of the circumflex, and a balloon angioplasty was performed. His recovery was smooth, and a cardiopulmonary exercise test was performed 5 days after admission. At 2.5 metabolic equivalents, he suddenly went into cardiac arrest, and percutaneous cardiopulmonary support was initiated. Echocardiography revealed the presence of a large amount of pericardial effusion, and emergency cardiac surgery was performed to repair the free-wall rupture. This highlights the importance of careful monitoring of patients with percutaneous coronary intervention during cardiopulmonary exercise testing.