Sudden death after a cold drink: case report

We report a case of sudden cardiac death in a 12-year-old boy after rapid ingestion of a frozen slurry drink. The cause of death was determined to be a cardiac arrhythmia secondary to a previously undiagnosed cardiac rhabdomyoma with associated myocardial scarring. Ingestion of cold liquids has been...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of forensic medicine and pathology Vol. 20; no. 1; p. 37
Main Authors Burke, A P, Afzal, M N, Barnett, D S, Virmani, R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.1999
Subjects
Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology
Beverages - adverse effects
Bradycardia - etiology
Bradycardia - physiopathology
Cause of Death
Child
Cold Temperature
Death, Sudden, Cardiac - etiology
Forensic Medicine
Heart Atria - pathology
Heart Neoplasms - complications
Heart Neoplasms - pathology
Humans
Male
Reflex - physiology
Rhabdomyosarcoma - complications
Rhabdomyosarcoma - pathology
Vagus Nerve - physiopathology
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Summary:We report a case of sudden cardiac death in a 12-year-old boy after rapid ingestion of a frozen slurry drink. The cause of death was determined to be a cardiac arrhythmia secondary to a previously undiagnosed cardiac rhabdomyoma with associated myocardial scarring. Ingestion of cold liquids has been associated with syncope, but not sudden cardiac death. In this case, bradycardia induced by cold-induced vasovagal reflex may have precipitated the terminal arrhythmia. Ingestion of cold liquids should be considered a potential trigger for fatal cardiac arrhythmias in patients with underlying heart disease.
ISSN:0195-7910
DOI:10.1097/00000433-199903000-00009