An unusual cause of cardiac arrest
Campana, A.; Manzo, M.; Brigante, M.; Marrazzo, N.; Melchiorre, G.
Italian Heart Journal. Suppl Official Journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology 4(6): 510-513
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1129-4728 PMID: 19400057 Document Number: 564551
The long QT syndrome is characterized by the observed association of "torsade de pointes" and the prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiogram. Acquired long QT syndrome typically affects older individuals, being often associated with the action of some drugs. Hypokalemia is a frequent cause of QT lengthening on the electrocardiogram. Chronic assumption of licorice may be an unusual cause of hypokalemia, due to its mineralocorticoid-like action. In this paper we describe a case of cardiac arrest due to "torsade de pointes" resulting from a marked hypokalemia caused by the patient's habit of eating daily a not negligible quantity of licorice.