QT Prolongation: Carbon Monoxide Coma

Report:

Sinus rhythm

Prolonged QT interval (0.65”)[!xe "QT interval:CO poisoning" \b!]

Comment:

The cerebral injury is reflected in the large, broad T waves and the associated QT interval prolongation. As a general rule of the thumb, the T waves should not encroach further than half-way between the QRS complexes.

The brain is much more sensitive than the heart in CO poisoning, even though both angina and infarction have been described. Earlier in the year (1986), I sent a brain-dead CO suicide’s heart to Sydney for transplantation. This one never became actually brain-dead; she survived with severe neurological deficit.[!xe "Carbon monoxide poisoning" \b!]

259. 64 year old woman with unstable angina, on hæmodialysis for chronic renal failure

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