endoscopy and heart attack

[ren1711]

A friend had severe chest pain. His ecg was little abnormal. Angiography showed only 40% blockage in one of the arteries. The pain contrinued. Ultrasound showed gallblader stones. He died of cardiac arrest during endoscopy procedure.  His BP before starting the procedure was 130/80. His lipid profile etc. were all normal. Other than slight history of BP for which he was taking regular medicine, there was no other ailment. What was the complication?

[ren1711]

His endoscopy procedure had to be aborted due to convulsion. The echo test done on him later showed cardiac stand still with pericardial collection, indicating cardiac rupture. Is this cardiac rupthure possible due to endoscope?

[Elliot R Goodman, MD]

difficult to say
sounds cardiac  - an arrhythmia perhaps?