Acute Myocardial Infarction Following Administration of Polyethylene Glycol Electrolyte Solution with Ascorbic Acid (MoviPrep^®) at Home: A Case Report

A male individual aged 82 years with hypertension who had a smoking history, but no history of cardiovascular events, developed acute myocardial infarction immediately after he took oral polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution with ascorbic acid as a pretreatment for a colonoscopy to examine anemia. He took polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution with ascorbic acid at twice (2 L/h) the rate recommended in the package insert and by the physician. The patient showed impaired consciousness 2 h after taking polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution with ascorbic acid and his family called the emergency medical service. Upon arrival of the emergency medical service, his systolic blood pressure was 60 mmHg and heart rate was 50 bpm. Systolic blood pressure and impaired consciousness were slightly improved, but compensatory shock remained, at arrival at the emergency outpatient service at our hospital. No dyspnea or rash was apparent. The patient had no subjective chest pain; however, ST-segment elevation was detected in the electrocardiogram at II, III, aVF, V3R, and V4R. He was diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and underwent a coronary catheter intervention for total occlusion of the right coronary artery. His shock state was abolished by this intervention. The patient was pretreated with polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution with ascorbic acid under close watch in the coronary care unit 4 days later, with no relapse of symptoms. Advanced cancer was found in the ileocecum by colonoscopy; consequently, the patient underwent a colectomy and was discharged from our hospital and transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation on hospital day 74. A Naranjo assessment score of 4 was obtained, indicating a possible relationship of acute myocardial infarction with misuse of the suspect drug, polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution with ascorbic acid.