Sudden Cardiac Death due to Ventricular Fibrillation in a Dog Following Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion

Objective: The objective of the study is to report a case of a dog that experienced sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation following a packed red cell transfusion. Case Summary: A 14-year-old, male castrated, American Staffordshire terrier dog was evaluated before a planned anesthetic event and was diagnosed with second-degree atrioventricular block. One week after the initial evaluation, the dog presented to an emergency facility for episodes of collapse and was diagnosed with hemoperitoneum secondary to splenic rupture. An emergency splenectomy was performed, but the dog developed regenerative anemia postsurgery and received a packed red blood cell transfusion. A Holter monitor was placed before the start of the transfusion due to concerns about previous rhythm abnormalities. Two hours after the blood transfusion, the dog experienced sudden cardiac arrest, and closed-chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation was unsuccessful. Analysis of the Holter recording revealed the onset of ventricular arrhythmias following transfusion that progressed to frequent polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Additionally, QT interval prolongation was noted just before the onset of the ventricular arrhythmias on the Holter recording. New Information Provided: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a dog that suffered sudden cardiac death after a blood transfusion and discusses possible causes of ventricular arrhythmias.