Atrial flutter complicating severe leptospirosis: a case report

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Francisco Theogenes Macêdo Silva, Geraldo Bezerra da Silva Junior, André Nunes Benevides, Elizabeth De Francesco Daher
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2013
• Subjects: Leptospirosis; Weil syndrome; Arrhythmia; Atrial flutter; Electrocardiogram; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-1739-2013; https://doaj.org/article/f92c99b9aeec49208c7558454bd05f55

Cardiac disturbances are relatively common and electrocardiographic abnormalities may be found in more than 70% of patients with leptospirosis. We report the case of a 68 year-old male with severe leptospirosis who developed atrial flutter. Effective treatment was done with amiodarone. The patient became clinical stable, with complete recovery. Rigorous clinical observation and continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring may facilitate the identification of rhythm disorders, and thus prevent a probable fatal outcome, in severe cases of leptospirosis.