UMEM Educational Pearls

Reperfusion Ventricular Fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation during reperfusion in STEMI is an infrequent, but serious complication.

Among ~4000 with STEMI between 2007-2012, 71 (1.9%) had reperfusion Vfib.

Increased risk for reperfusion Vfib is associated with: history of MI, aspirin and b-blocker use, Vfib before PCI, left main CAD, inferior MI, symptom-to-balloon time <360 minutes, maximal ST-segment elevation in a single lead >300 μV, and sum of ST-segment deviations in all leads >1,500 μV.

The sum of ST-segment deviations in all leads >1500 μV was an independent predictor of reperfusion Vfib.

References

Demidova M, Carlson J , et al. Am J Cardiol 2015;115:417e422