Ventricular fibrillation following coronary artery revascularization

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) presents a complete disintegrated myocardial activity associated with hemodynamic collapse and loss of consciousness requiring urgent reanimation. VF mostly occurs following myocardial infarction and endstage of ischemic heart disease in patients with ejection fraction less than 30%. Material and methods This paper analyzes occurrence of VF following coronary artery revascularization in patients undergoing surgery at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Sremska Kamenica. During the period 1994 - 1998, 3.186 patients underwent coronary artery revascularization procedure, whereas following it VF occurred in 20 patients (0.63%). Results and discussion In all patients VF presented in the first postoperative week, while in 16 patients it occurred in the first 3 days following surgery. Nine patients with VF underwent left coronary artery revascularization with endarterectomy, 9 patients underwent right coronary artery revascularization with endarterectomy. One patient had a left-ventricular aneurysmectomy and 80% of patients had low ejection fraction rate - 20-35%. After VF in 75% of patients urgent reoperation was performed, and only one suffered from thrombotic occlusion, that is perioerative infarction. After defibrillation patients were treated with xylocaine, amiodarone and beta-blockers. During the 30-day period following surgery, there were no lethal outcomes, whereas in the 24-month period after surgery 3 patients died. Cardiac-related death occurred in one patient, while two died due to cerebral insult. Conclusion VF was not a frequent complication in our patients. Effective antiarrhythmic drugs prevent repeated VF. Beta-blockers, xylocaine and amiodarone are drugs of choice for the treatment of malignant cardiac rhythm disturbances.