Emergency Medical Minute

Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Key clinical considerations when managing heart transplant patients due to their unique pathophysiology 1. Arrhythmias A transplanted heart is denervated, meaning it lacks autonomic nervous system innervation The lack of vagal tone results in an increased resting heart rate Adenosine can be used since it primarily slows conduction through the AV node  Atropine is ineffective in treating transplant bradyarrhythmia because its mechanism is to inhibit the vagus nerve - but the heart lacks vagal tone Allograft rejection can also cause tachycardia Consult transplant surgery - treatment is usually 500 mg methylprednisolone 2. Rejection Transplant patients are administered immunosuppressants Clinical presentation of acute rejection looks similar to heart failure with increased BNP, increased troponin, and pulmonary edema  Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is a form of chronic rejection Patients will not report chest pain due to denerva