Electrocardiographic monitoring of 52 consecutive patients undergoing up per gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed that arrhythmias during the procedures were common (38.5%) and tended to occur more frequently in the elderly (75%), in persons with heart disease (54.5%), and in persons with chronic lung disease (89%). The incidence of ventricular premature contractions in patient with no evidence of heart or lung disease was 19%. In one patient with ad vanced chronic lung disease, the procedure had to be terminated because of de velopment of high-degree atrioventricular block. A high incidence of arrhyth mias during endoscopy has not been previously reported in patients with chronic lung disease.
Fujita, R., Kumura, F.: Arrhythmias and ischemic changes of the heart induced by gastric endoscopic procedure. Am. J. Gastroenterol., 64: 44, 1975.
6.
Katz, D., Selesnick, S.: Cardiac arrest during gastroscopy. Gastroenterology, 33: 650, 1957.
7.
Palmer, E.D. , Wirts, C.W.: Survey of gastroscopic and esophagoscopic accidents: Report of committee on accidents of the american gastroscopic society . J.A.M.A., 164: 2012, 1957.
8.
Owen, S.E.: A study of visco-cardiac reflexes. The experimental production of cardiac irregularities by visceral stimulation. Am. Heart J., 8: 496-506, 1933.
