CASE REPORT

Right ventricular infarction complicated by right to left shunting through an atrial septal defect: successful treatment with an Amplatzer septal occluder

S Bassi¹, R Amersey² and R Andrews¹

¹ Department of Cardiology, Lincoln County Hospital, Lincoln, UK
² Department of Cardiology, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr S Bassi
Department of Cardiology, Lincoln County Hospital, Greetwell Road, Lincoln LN2 5QY, UK; bassis{at}doctors.org.uk

A 68 year old woman presented with right ventricular myocardial infarction complicated by refractory hypoxaemia. She was found to have a significant right to left shunt at the atrial level through a previously undiagnosed ostium secundum atrial septal defect. Percutaneous closure of the atrial septal defect with an Amplatzer septal occluder resulted in prompt improvement in her oxygenation and clinical state. Such closure should be considered for patients with right ventricular infarction and refractory hypoxaemia caused by a right to left interatrial shunt.

Abbreviations: ASD, atrial septal defect; FIO₂, fractional inspired oxygen; PFO, persistent foramen ovale; SaO₂, arterial oxygen saturation

Keywords: right ventricular infarction; hypoxaemia; right to left shunt; percutaneous closure

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Heart Online case reports: www.heartjnl.com
Heart 2005 91: 494. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Sharp, A., Malik, I. (2008). Secundum atrial septal defects: time to close them all?. Heart 94: 1120-1122 [Full Text]  
• Agnoletti, G, Boudjemline, Y, Ou, P, Bonnet, D, Sidi, D (2006). Right to left shunt through interatrial septal defects in patients with congenital heart disease: results of interventional closure. Heart 92: 827-831 [Abstract] [Full Text]