Asymptomatic ventricular fibrillation in peripartum cardiomyopathy with a left ventricular assist device

Abstract

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a dangerous ventricular arrhythmia that results in pulselessness and sudden cardiac death. We present a 43-year-old woman with peripartum cardiomyopathy with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and recalcitrant right-sided heart failure who presented with unsuccessful defibrillator shocks. The patient was asymptomatic while in persistent VF for over 4 hours. Echocardiography showed the heart to be in asystole. We hypothesize that a combination of chronic right heart failure and LVAD kept her asymptomatic. Patients supported with LVAD can survive prolonged periods with VF.

Keywords:

• Cardiac assist device
• cardiomyopathy
• chronic heart failure
• ventricular fibrillation
• ventricular tachycardia