Major electrocardiographic changes during chemical face peeling

In phenol face peels, when 50 percent or more of the face was treated in less than 30 minutes, there was a high incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. When the same was done during a period of 60 minutes or more, arrhythmia did not occur. Other factors studied in this group of 43 patients, including the preoperative electrocardiograms, did not correlate with the development of arrhythmias. We believe that patients undergoing phenol face peels should have cardiac monitoring, and appropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitative capabilities should be available.