Electrocardiograms Revealing Epsilon Waves Following Use of Hormone Supplements in Young Cardiac Arrest Patient.

INTRODUCTION: An underlying cardiomyopathy should be suspected in young patients presenting with ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest. Electrocardiograms revealing epsilon waves are associated with many serious conditions such as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, posterior myocardial infarction, right ventricular infarction, infiltration disease, sarcoidosis, Brugada Syndrome, Tetralogy of Fallot, and hypothermia. This case report features epsilon waves in a young cardiac arrest patient suspected of having an unrecognized cardiomyopathy that resulted in a fatal arrhythmia in the setting of exogenous bovine thyroid hormone and steroid use.  Case presentation: A previously healthy 33-year-old male with a history of anabolic steroid use and bovine thyroid hormone use presented to the emergency department following witnessed cardiac arrest with bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Upon emergency medical service (EMS) arrival, the patient was in ventricular fibrillation and received defibrillation with the return of spontaneous circulation. In the emergency department, he was unresponsive and required norepinephrine to maintain blood pressure. An epsilon wave and a prolonged QTc interval were noted on his electrocardiogram (ECG). CT angiogram of the chest and CT head were negative for acute abnormalities. Pertinent laboratory work-up included a lactate level of 12.0 mmol/L, thyroid-stimulating hormone of 0.02 ulU/L, and a free thyroxine level of 0.04 ng/dL. Cardiac ultrasound showed globally decreasedleft ventricular function with an ejection fraction of 25-30% and mild dilation of the right ventricle. A cardiac MRI was ordered but the patient had recurrent ventricular fibrillation and was too unstable to complete. He suffered anoxic brain injury with no improvements in neurologic function and was transitioned to comfort care. The patient died two months later in hospice care. The cause of cardiac arrest was attributed to the patient's steroid and bovine thyroid supplementation, but autopsy results revealed histologic evidence of possible arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.  Discussion: Epsilon waves are widely known to be associated with structural abnormalities of the heart, most notably, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathies. Epsilon waves may be present in a variety of other medical conditions including posterior myocardial infarction, right ventricular infarction, infiltration disease, sarcoidosis, Brugada Syndrome, Tetralogy of Fallot, and hypothermia. This case report describes an epsilon wave found in a patient with suspected arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy that suffered a fatal arrhythmia triggered by bovine thyroid hormone and steroid use.

Feasibility of upright patient positioning and intubation success rates At two academic EDs.

OBJECTIVES: Endotracheal intubation is most commonly taught and performed in the supine position. Recent literature suggests that elevating the patient's head to a more upright position may decrease peri-intubation complications. However, there is little data on the feasibility of upright intubation in the emergency department. The goal of this study was to measure the success rate of emergency medicine residents performing intubation in supine and non-supine, including upright positions. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study. Residents performing intubation recorded the angle of the head of the bed. The number of attempts required for successful intubation was recorded by faculty and espiratory therapists. The primary outcome of first past success was calculated with respect to three groups: 0-10° (supine), 11-44° (inclined), and ≥45° (upright); first past success was also analyzed in 5 degree angle increments. RESULTS: A total of 231 intubations performed by 58 residents were analyzed. First pass success was 65.8% for the supine group, 77.9% for the inclined group, and 85.6% for the upright group (p=0.024). For every 5 degree increase in angle, there was increased likelihood of first pass success (AOR=1.11; 95% CI=1.01-1.22, p=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: In our study emergency medicine residents had a high rate of success intubating in the upright position. While this does not demonstrate causation, it correlates with recent literature challenging the traditional supine approach to intubation and indicates that further investigation into optimal positioning during emergency department intubations is warranted.

Cross-over study of novice intubators performing endotracheal intubation in an upright versus supine position.

There are a number of potential physical advantages to performing orotracheal intubation in an upright position. The objective of this study was to measure the success of intubation of a simulated patient in an upright versus supine position by novice intubators after brief training. This was a cross-over design study in which learners (medical students, physician assistant students, and paramedic students) intubated mannequins in both a supine (head of the bed at 0°) and upright (head of bed elevated at 45°) position. The primary outcome of interest was successful intubation of the trachea. Secondary outcomes included log time to intubation, Cormack-Lehane view obtained, Percent of Glottic Opening score, provider assessment of difficulty, and overall provider satisfaction with the position. There were a total of 126 participants: 34 medical students, 84 physician assistant students, and 8 paramedic students. Successful tracheal intubation was achieved in 114 supine attempts (90.5 %) and 123 upright attempts (97.6 %; P = 0.283). Upright positioning was associated with significantly faster log time to intubation, higher likelihood of achieving Grade I Cormack-Lehane view, higher Percent of Glottic Opening score, lower perceived difficulty, and higher provider satisfaction. A subset of 74 participants had no previous intubation training or experience. For these providers, there was a non-significant trend toward improved intubation success with upright positioning vs supine positioning (98.6 % vs. 87.8 %, P = 0.283). For all secondary outcomes in this group, upright positioning significantly outperformed supine positioning.