Unveiling the Link: Hypocalcemia-Induced Unstable Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

A 63-year-old female presented to a freestanding emergency room with dizziness, palpitations, and hypotension, The patient was found to have an irregular wide complex tachycardia, consistent with ventricular tachycardia, hypomagnesemia and severe hypocalcemia. The tachycardia was refractory to treatment with IV amiodarone and magnesium, and only resolved with correction of the serum calcium. Review of the medical record revealed an echocardiogram 19 years earlier reporting left ventricular dysfunction. The patient was unaware of this diagnosis and was not taking medical therapy. Echocardiogram revealed no significant change in left ventricular function, and coronary angiography showed no significant coronary artery disease. The patients nonischemic cardiomyopathy may have been a predisposing factor for the arrhythmia presentation. We explore a hospital admission involving the rare association of hypocalcemia and monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, which is not well documented in the literature.

Cardiol Res. 2024;15(4):314-317
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/cr1683