Fatal cardiac rupture during stress exercise testing: case series and review of the literature.

Mortality rates of exercise testing are low and cardiac rupture and sudden death are rare. Three cases of fatal cardiac rupture that occurred during exercise stress testing are reported. Once thought to be a fatal complication, there are increasing reports of ante-mortem diagnosis and survival. Cardiac rupture is a stuttering process with recognizable clinical symptoms that allow early recognition and treatment. Certain clinical, biochemical, ECG and hemodynamic markers may allow identification of patients likely to sustain rupture. Strategies for diagnosis, resuscitation, and definitive intervention are reviewed.