A Rare Case of Metronidazole Overdose Causing Ventricular Fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation is not known as a complication of metronidazole poisoning. Although some arrhythmias have been reported as a complication of metronidazole intake while taking antiarrhythmic medications, most such arrhythmias are possibly related to co-ingestion of drugs with metronidazole a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2022-05, Vol.14 (5), p.e24728
Main Authors: Elgassim, Mohamed Abdelgadir M, Saied, Amin Saied Sanosi, Mustafa, Moayad A, Abdelrahman, Amro, AlJaufi, Ibtesam, Salem, Waleed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotics
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiology
Case reports
Consciousness
Emergency Medicine
Heart rate
Infectious Disease
Metabolism
Nausea
Poisoning
Potassium
Reading
Sinuses
Suicides & suicide attempts
Toxicology
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Summary:Ventricular fibrillation is not known as a complication of metronidazole poisoning. Although some arrhythmias have been reported as a complication of metronidazole intake while taking antiarrhythmic medications, most such arrhythmias are possibly related to co-ingestion of drugs with metronidazole as it affects the metabolism of these drugs. In this case, ventricular fibrillation occurred in a young patient without preexisting medical conditions or any other known drug ingestion, which was never been reported before. We present a case of an 18-year-old male brought in by the ambulance service after attempting to end his life by overdosing on metronidazole. While being transported he developed ventricular fibrillation and received an electric shock, which reverted the episode. Laboratory investigations did not show any clear cause that might have precipitated his arrhythmia.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.24728