heart rhythms & cardiac arrest

[Dinam1969]

My husband passed away from cardiac arrest 5 weeks ago age 42.  He had a tricuspid valve replaced 3 times last time 23 years ago.  Since 2004 he was at the emergency 3 times for a very high heart rate & was cardioverted successfully.  I just recieved his records from the hospital & the last 2 visits said they were for atrial fibrilliation or atrial flutter.  His ecg from his first visit in 2004 stated he had wide QRS tachycardia, left axis deviation, right bundle branch block, inferior infaret(age undetermined) & abnormal ECG plus VT which was hand written.  What does all this mean.  His report from his emergency visit when he died said he had ventricular fibrillation & ventricular tachycardia & pulmonary hypertension.  Should something have been done or more investigation into those 3 trips to the emergency for cardioversions to prevent his fatal cardiac arrest?  

[Jerry_NJ]

While many (most) of us on this Community have heart problems, and are thus in the "population" at higher risk, no one is guaranteed they will not die from cardiac arrest.   Happily the numbers of people who appear to have a fully normal and health heart, yet die from cardiac arrest, is very small, not as small as we'd like (zero), but small.

My take-away is while I'm in the higher risk group, my risk too is a low number.  So, I'll go through today believing I'll see tomorrow.  I'll also take my medications, make all doctor appointments (including one with the dentist this morning, ouch), and try to follow a health life style - the last is the hardest.

[Dinam1969]

I'm sorry to hear of your problem...Just make sure you ask all the questions you can write them down before you go to the dr. so you don't forget anything...if there is something you don't understand make sure you do understand it all before you leave that office...they told myself & my husband that there was nothing to worry about so we excepted it...we didn't ask many questions as we thought they knew what they were talking about...I hope you get all the answers you need & that you get well...I'll be praying for you...

[ladycolpepper]

So sorry for your loss and stress of this  in your life.....I will pray for peace and strength for you and also a quick resolve........I read this post this morning and I am 41 of age and it made me tremble reading this.......I have just been diagnosed with tricuspic regurg and mitral regurg on the 14th . So your post hit me and scared me that your hub passed...I am just learning about this. I go in tachy rythym a lot and have been in it for days before but so scared togo to ER..terrified actually...You have made me think of questions for dr when i go now. Anyhow I hope you will get some comfort and some answers from someone somewhere. Maybe the cardiologist can answer some more for you........

[Dinam1969]

Thank you all...Yes my husband was seeing a cardiologist...After his last cardioversion in May he seen him in August & he put him on metoprolol meds...When I seen the dr. since his death I realized he prescribed those meds without even having any of the files from his emergency visits.

[Topher7]

So sorry for your loss. I really can't imagine, being a father myself. My thoughts and prayers are with you. As for the hospital report and ER. Everyone is right concerning the ER but the times I have been around the docs in one they usually recommend to follow up with a cardiologist, etc. As for the final report. From what I have read it is very rare that something like A-fib be the culprit in a death unless there was a clot involved or there was underlying heart disease. However, certain tachycardias can cause sudden death. I'm no doc and have only read so much so that is just basics that I know because of my A-fib

[grendslori]

I am so sorry for your loss! I am confused by one important factor that you have left out: was your husband ever seen by a cardiologist, in the first place? By what you have written, it sounds like there was so much more going on with his heart and he should have been seen by a cardiologist. With the types of arrhythmias he was having a sudden death event, while rare, certainly was a possibility. At one point (age undetermined) he had already had one heart attack, although that is from a lack of blood flow, not from an arrhythmia. Did he, or anyone in his family, have something called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy? A wide QRS tachycardia is a sign of VT, however, there are also several other problems that that could represent. Was he having any other symptoms of heart disease?

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes, very, very sad and sorry.  It seems so wrong when one so young is lost.

I agree that ER is set up to deal with the threats that exist at the moment, to stop the bleeding and get the breathing going, to stabilize the heart or whatever is creating the emergency.  Then, ER hands the patient off to the hospital resident if hospitalization is required.  This ultimately ends up with some patient/doctor(s) relationship being established if one didn't already exist.

I'm not a doctor, or anyone who has been anything more than a patient or one accompanying a patient in the ER.  So, my thinking is limited by that experience.

My deep sympathy,

[Wisconsin2007]

I am truly sorry for the loss of your husband.  I'm a husband and a father and about the same age, and I can't imagine the thought of leaving my family behind.  I'll keep your family in my thoughts at church this Sunday.

I'm assuming you're asking if the ER should have done more investigating into the previous ER visits.  I'm not a doctor, just a person with some heart issues, so I've done a ton of reading on the subject, so take my input for what it is - relatively uninformed.  But my understanding is that the ER is not intended as much for investigation or evaluation, but more as triage, taking patients with life-threatening conditions and stabilizing them as best they can.  I don't believe it's in their protocol to arrange for cardiologist visits or follow-up care - I believe they leave that up to the patient, though I would hope they (the ER) would include the recommendation to seek out that follow-up care.  But again, take all that with a grain of salt.

Was he on any kinds of medication for the atrial fibrillation or flutter?  Any heart medications of any kind?

Again, I'm so sorry for what you're going through right now.  I hope that in time you are able to find some peace.