Early Repolarization: Maybe Not So Benign After All

A retrospective evaluation shows that patients with sudden cardiac arrest without demonstrable heart disease often have electrocardiographic findings of early repolarization.

Experimental evidence suggests that early repolarization is associated with ventricular dysrhythmias, but no clinical evidence is available. In a case-control study, researchers reviewed data from 22 dysrhythmia centers in several countries to evaluate the prevalence of early repolarization and its association with dysrhythmia in patients younger than 60 who had idiopathic (no evidence of structural heart disease) sudden cardiac arrest and had received implantable defibrillators.

The researchers identified 206 cases (60% men; median age, 36) and compared them with 412 matched controls who had not had cardiac arrest and did not have evidence of heart disease. Early repolarization (defined as a J-point elevation ≥1 mm) was significantly more f…

Reviewing Author

J. Stephen Bohan, MD, MS, FACP, FACEP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesKlint Law Firm

Editorial boardsCritical Decisions in Emergency Medicine

J. Stephen Bohan, MD, MS, FACP, FACEP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesKlint Law Firm

Editorial boardsCritical Decisions in Emergency Medicine