Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Real-Time Cardiac Mapping with a Noninvasive Imageless Electrocardiographic Imaging System
Published on: April 11, 2025
A Case Report of Elective Bilateral Proximal Intercostal Blocks Used to Prevent Arrhythmia in Catecholaminergic
Nazar Y Dubchak1, Andrei S B Lojek1, Austin G Bell2
1From the Department of Anesthesiology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Abstract:
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is an arrhythmogenic disorder characterized by episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Clinically, patients who have CPVT present with juvenile sudden death or stress-induced syncope. We present a case of an 18-year-old girl with CPVT resistant to traditional pharmacotherapies. Instead of a typical stellate ganglion block (SGB), the patient underwent bilateral continuous proximal intercostal blocks that successfully inhibited arrhythmogenic events. This therapeutic method may provide an alternative to SGBs and demonstrates proof of concept for an early elective intervention to be included in the diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm for patients with CPVT.
Related Concept Videos
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers
Disturbances in Heart Rhythm
Arrhythmias are categorized by their speed, rhythm, and origin. A slow...
Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class IV Agents as Calcium Channel Blockers
Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, inhibits calcium movement across myocardial cell membranes and vascular smooth muscle. This results in the dilation of coronary and...
Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class I Agents as Sodium Channel Blockers
Class 1A Antiarrhythmic Drugs: These drugs work by moderately blocking sodium channels,...

