Treatment of an allergic reaction led to stress-induced transient cardiomyopathy and provided evidence to support the role of epinephrine in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Dr. Parashara and Dr. Barua are cardiologists, Dr. Afzal was a cardiology fellow at the time the article was written, and Dr. Surineni is a researcher, all at the Kansas City VAMC in Missouri. Dr. Parashara also is chief of the cardiology cardiac catheterization laboratory at the Kansas City VAMC.
Author disclosures The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the U.S. Government, or any of its agencies. This article may discuss unlabeled or investigational use of certain drugs. Please review the complete prescribing information for specific drugs or drug combinations—including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects—before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.
Conclusion
The authors’ case report describes the induction of apical ballooning TCM by administration of supratherapeutic doses of epinephrine and supports the role of catecholamines in the pathophysiology of TCM. It is hoped that this report will help clinicians to suspect, recognize, and manage this disease and be aware of possible iatrogenic causes.
