Successful treatment of life-threatening ventricular tachycardia with high-dose propranolol under extracorporeal life support and intraaortic balloon pumping.

The use of propranolol is generally contraindicated in patients with congestive heart failure. However, we successfully used a continuous high-dose infusion of propranolol, in combination with the use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP), to treat refractory life-threatening ventricular tachycardia in a patient with postoperative congestive heart failure. The early combined use of ECLS and IABP before irreversible myocardial damage contributed to the successful outcome.