Sudden cardiac arrest in ESRD patients

Abstract

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) carries a significant risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), hospitalization and mortality. We present a case of a vintage hemodialysis patient who had a catastrophic event during his hemodialysis treatment - a sudden cardiac arrest. This case raises several important issues: First, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (and particularly ESRD) are predisposed to an inordinate risk of SCA; second, the factors leading to SCA in CKD are unique; and lastly, it is of paramount importance to have basic life support training, crash carts and defibrillators in dialysis units. It also raises the important discussion regarding the role for automated implantable cardioverter defibrillators and medical therapy for the prevention of SCA in this population.