[Sudden death during continous electrocardiographic recording by Holter's method]

The case of a 79 year old patient who died during continuous electrocardiographic recording by Holter monitoring is reported. There was a previous history of respiratory insufficiency, postero diaphragmatic myocardial infarction and left hemiplegia. Death occurred suddenly at home after defecation. Analysis of the recording showed multiple polymorphic ventricular extra-systoles, often occuring in doublets at the beginning of the record. Death was caused by a salvo of three ventricular extrasystoles triggering ventricular tachycardia which rapidly degraded to irreversible ventricular fibrillation. This major arrhythmia may have been due either to adrenergic stimulation from the effort of defecation or to acute myocardial infarction. This case underlies the value of Holter monitoring in the assessment of the gravity of an arrhythmia. It is also of interest because of the absence of an R on T phenomenon before the terminal event.