Related Experiment Videos
Transient first-degree AV block and sixth nerve palsy in a patient with closed head injury
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, TX 76544-5603.
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.
Abstract:
We present the case of an 8-year-old girl who suffered a closed head injury with the development of bilateral sixth-nerve palsies, and who was noted upon arrival to the emergency department to be in first-degree AV block. The sixth-nerve palsies and the first-degree AV block resolved simultaneously within 24 hours of injury. We discuss dysrhythmias and ECG changes previously reported with central nervous system diseases and their proposed etiology.