A 26-year-old Royal Air Force serviceman with palpitations

11 June 2020

Organised by:

The case

A 26-year-old Royal Air Force serviceman experienced an episode of rapid irregular palpitations and dizziness following the consumption of a large volume of an energy drink with vodka. He presented to the emergency department, at which point his symptoms settled. He had no significant past medical history or family history of note.

References

Guettler N, et al. Heart 2019;105:s38–s49. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313057
Boos CJ, Jamil Y, Park M, et al. Electrocardiographic abnormalities in medically screened military aircrew. Aviat Space Environ Med 2012;83:1055–9
Hunter AH, Timperley AC, Reid AN, et al. A 5-year review of atrial fibrillation in military aircrew. Aviat Space Environ Med 2013;84:1249–54
Nicol ED, Rienks R, Gray G, et al. An introduction to aviation cardiology. Heart 2019;105:s3-s8
Voskoboinik A, Prabhu S, Ling L, Kalman JM, Kistler PM. Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation: A Sobering Review, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 68(23);2016, 2567-2576

Notes to editor

Authors information:

Dr. Michael Pope, research fellow in cardiac electrophysiology at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK
Dr. Andrew Cox, cardiologist in the British Army, UK and at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Dr. Joanna d’Arcy, cardiologist in the Royal Air Force, UK and at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK
Dr. Kim Rajappan, cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK