ECG Changes during Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Metastasis under General Anaesthesia - A Dilemma with Cardiac Event

Abstract

Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is one of the mandatory monitoring during surgery under anaesthesia for identifying any cardiac event like arrthymias or ischemic changes. The operating room is increasingly being studded with various electrical equipments. These electrical gadgets may interfere with the ECG monitoring and thus produce various artifacts mimicking arrthymias or ischemic changes.We report a case of ECG changes induced artifactually by the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for ablating hepatic metastasis under general anaesthesia. Our case emphasizes that awareness of such artifacts in ECG during radiofrequency ablation is required and if it occurs it should be cautiously interperated and managed.