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Transient first-degree AV block and sixth nerve palsy in a patient with closed head injury

D J Dire1, R Patterson

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, TX 76544-5603.

The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|September 1, 1987
PubMed

Insights

A pediatric head injury caused temporary sixth-nerve palsies and first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. Both neurological and cardiac symptoms resolved within 24 hours, suggesting a link between central nervous system injury and cardiac dysrhythmias.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Central nervous system (CNS) diseases can manifest with cardiac dysrhythmias.
  • Understanding the relationship between head trauma and cardiac function is crucial in pediatric care.

Observation:

  • An 8-year-old girl experienced a closed head injury.
  • The injury led to bilateral sixth-nerve palsies and first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block.

Findings:

  • Both the sixth-nerve palsies and the first-degree AV block resolved spontaneously within 24 hours post-injury.
  • This simultaneous resolution suggests a potential common etiology linked to the head trauma.

Implications:

  • The case highlights the importance of cardiac monitoring in pediatric patients with head injuries.
  • Further research into the neuro-cardiac axis following CNS insults is warranted.

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