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Related Experiment Videos

The flat electrocardiogram--systole or asystole?

R A Cocks1, M Thompson, Y W Kwan

  • 1Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.

Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine
|June 25, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Stone heart syndrome, a rare condition, caused cardiac arrest in a pregnant patient despite ECG showing asystole. The heart was found in tetanic contracture, suggesting misinterpretation of cardiac arrest causes.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Stone heart syndrome is a rare condition characterized by sustained cardiac contracture.
  • This case involves a pregnant West African patient presenting with syncopal symptoms and cardiac arrest.

Observation:

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG) initially indicated asystole (complete absence of electrical activity).
  • Emergency thoracotomy revealed the heart in a state of tetanic contracture (sustained contraction).

Findings:

  • Necropsy showed normal heart weight with fibrosis around the bundle of His.
  • Discrepancy between ECG findings and the heart's physical state was noted.

Implications:

  • This case suggests that apparent asystole on ECG may sometimes represent severe tetanic contracture.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Re-evaluation of cardiac arrest diagnosis in similar cases may be warranted.
  • Highlights the importance of integrating clinical and pathological findings in diagnosing cardiac emergencies.