Abstract
A 54-year-old American woman presented with an episode of syncope. This had occurred against a background of several days of dizziness and palpitations. Her medical history included Bell's palsy, which had been diagnosed three weeks earlier. On examination, she had a resting bradycardia of 31 beats per minute and her electrocardiogram demonstrated third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. She was referred to cardiology for consideration of permanent pacemaker implantation. Given her facial nerve palsy and AV block, a diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis was suspected. Within 48 hours of initiation of ceftriaxone, she reverted to sinus rhythm, albeit with a marked first-degree AV block. Subsequent serology confirmed the diagnosis. Reversible causes of complete AV block should always be considered and appropriate therapy may avoid the need for permanent pacemaker insertion.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: The Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.