Tremor Mimicking Ventricular Tachycardia on Telemetry

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Medical Technology

Background:

• High-grade gliomas require surgical resection.
• Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor.
• Postoperative monitoring is crucial for detecting cardiac complications.

Observation:

• The patient displayed abnormal telemetry signals suggestive of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia on postoperative day 1.
• These signals were transient, lasting 15-20 seconds.

Findings:

• Further investigation revealed the abnormal signals were not a true cardiac arrhythmia but an artifact caused by the patient's Parkinsonian tremor.
• Distinguishing tremor artifact from actual arrhythmias requires careful analysis of signal characteristics.

Implications:

• This case highlights the importance of recognizing tremor artifact in electrocardiogram (ECG) and telemetry data for patients with Parkinson's disease.
• Clinicians should consider tremor artifact in the differential diagnosis of abnormal cardiac signals in patients with tremors to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.