Electrical Storm
Electrical storm (ES) is a term that describes recurrent, multiple episodes of ventricular tachycardia within a 24-hour period. This uncontrolled, irregular heartbeat prevents the heart from effectively pumping blood and therefore is life threatening. Causes of electrical storm include:
- Previous heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Brugada syndrome, a hereditary heart condition
- Electrical shock
You’re Our Priority
For more information about treatment of electrical storm, request a consultation at the Bangkok office of Pacific Rim Electrophysiology using our online form. Recognized as international leaders in arrhythmia treatment and research, we serve patients from around the world.
Meet Doctor Nademanee
An innovator of advanced cardiac arrhythmia treatments that have attracted the attention of specialists and patients worldwide.
Much like with sudden cardiac death syndrome, the patient is likely to die within minutes of their ES without medical attention. Our Director, Dr. Nademanee, participated in an ES treatment study which demonstrated that sympathetic blockade with beta blockers improves survival rate over the conventional method of using anti-arrhythmic drug therapy. Although electrical storm can be effectively interrupted if the patient has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the arrhythmia often quickly resumes.
Future ES episodes can be avoided through catheter ablation, which can destroy the sites in the heart from which the cardiac arrhythmia originates. Patients who are at high risk for ES, such as those who have had a previous heart attack and have left ventricular dysfunction, should consult with their physician to evaluate their heart condition and establish an appropriate treatment protocol.
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