A case of sudden unexpected death of a patient with epilepsy: Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring and autopsy results

Svetlana Serdyuk, Karapet Davtyan, Sergey Burd, Rozi Teryan, Maria Kharlap, Oksana Drapkina, Svetlana Serdyuk, Karapet Davtyan, Sergey Burd, Rozi Teryan, Maria Kharlap, Oksana Drapkina

No abstract available

Keywords: Autopsy; Cardiac arrhythmia; Epileptic seizure; Subcutaneous electrocardiographic recorder; Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Figures

Figure 1

Baseline electrocardiogram (paper speed 25mm/s) showing sinus rhythm with heart rate of 75 bpm, QTc duration of 382 ms, and signs of type 3 early ventricular repolarization syndrome.

Figure 2

Electrocardiographic recording (paper speed 25mm/s) during an epileptic seizure showing sinus rhythm with heart rate of 66 bpm followed by increase up to 100 bpm and then decrease down to 48 bpm, and a singular ventricular extrasystole, supraventricular extrasystole, followed by the artifacts common for skeletal muscle contraction during tonic and later clonic phase of seizures, followed by sinus tachycardia with heart rate of 130 bpm.

Figure 3

A: Heart rate trends and physical activity graphs showing termination of physical activity and cardiac activity corresponding to the patient’s date of death. B: Postmortem electrocardiographic recording (paper speed 25mm/s) showing episodes of idioventricular rhythm with ventricular contraction rate about 17 bpm followed by heart arrest.