Ginseng: a potential cause of long QT
Section snippets
Case report
A 43-year-old healthy woman presented twice to the emergency department for loss of consciousness with brief tonic clonic movements. Result of physical examination on presentation was normal. Episodes recurred in the emergency department and were associated with cyanosis requiring intubation. Electrocardiogram on admission showed a sinus rhythm at 68 beats per minute and corrected QT (QTc) of 720 milliseconds (Bazett formula) (Fig. 1A). Electrolytes' levels, comprehensive toxicology screening,
Discussion
In our case, the diagnosis of long QT syndrome was delayed for 3 months as seizure disorder was first erroneously considered. The average delay in establishing long QT syndrome in patients who present with seizure can reach 11.8 years even in the presence of long QT interval that is usually disregarded or miscalculated.1 In this case, the delayed age of onset of torsades, the absence of familial history of sudden cardiac death, and the negative genetic workup favor the diagnosis of an acquired
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