Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in acute myocardial infarction treated by thrombolysis: reperfusion, complication or iatrogenic sign?

The QT interval prolongation may determine a type of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia named torsades de pointes. This ventricular arrhythmia could also appear after thrombolysis of acute myocardial infarction.Case reports. A 57 years old man was admitted 2 hours after the onset of a posterior-inferior-lateral acute myocardial infarction (reinfarction). He underwent pharmacological revascularization with reteplase. In the first 24 hours after thrombolysis a sustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia was unregistered after the second dose of a quinolone recommended for a urological problem. Despite of the normal serum potassium and magnesium QTc suffered an augmentation from 400 ms to 480 ms. After beta-blocker augmentation dose and the antibiotic changing, ventricular arrhythmia disappeared without repetition during hospitalization. This ventricular tachycardia was considered precipitated by the quinolones therapy by increasing of QTc interval. It could also be considered a reperfusion sign or a complication of the reinfarction in the same area, which means different therapeutical solutions.