RECURRENT VENTRICULAR TACHYARRHYTHMIAS ASSOCIATED WITH QT PROLONGATION FOLLOWING HYDROFLUORIC-ACID BURNS

Background: Some hydrofluoric acid burns appear initially as only a sl ight wound, but patients may show dramatic changes within several hour s. The extent of such burns are directly related to the concentration, amount, and duration of exposure. Case Report: A 64-year-old man sust ained 44% total body surface burns after exposure to 30% hydrofluoric acid. Approximately 5 h after injury, he developed recurrent ventricul ar tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation which occurred in conjunct ion with long QT syndrome. In this case, the occurrence of hypocalcemi a and especially hypomagnesemia played an important role in the develo pment of long QT syndrome.