Table 1.

Case reports of stress cardiomyopathy in patients with acute alcohol withdrawal. VTach, ventricular tachycardia; VFib, ventricular fibrillation; CXR, chest X-ray; CIWA, Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol scale.

Age/sex	Onset (from last drink)	Clinical features of withdrawal	Presenting features of stress cardiomyopathy	Notable case features	Reference
64/M	At least 5 days	Not described in case report	Decline in level of consciousness, sustained VTach with degeneration to VFib, cardiopulmonary arrest; subsequent ST segment elevation and later T wave inversion	QT prolongation on admission; patient required cardiopulmonary resuscitation	[12]
49/F	Not described in case report	Withdrawal seizure after episode of acute intoxication (time between events not described in case report)	Decreased level of consciousness, decreased O2 saturation, rapid hypotension, infiltrate on CXR, ST elevation, and T wave inversion	—	[13]
25/F	Not described in case report	Seizure episode	Torsades de pointes with degeneration to VFib (in route to hospital), T wave inversion (3 hours after resuscitation) with QT prolongation	Cocaine use 3 days prior to seizure	[14]
61/M	36 hours	Not described in case report	Chest pain radiating to jaw, tachycardia, ST elevation, and T wave inversion	—	[15]
63/M	6-7 days	Grand mal seizure 3 days after alcohol cessation	Severe dyspnea, pulmonary edema, T wave inversion, QT prolongation	Resolution of stress cardiomyopathy confirmed at 10 weeks	[16]
56/M	5 days after hospitalization	Confusion, severe asthenia, anorexia, tremor	Tachycardia, decreased O2 saturation, pulmonary edema, orthopnea, pathologic Q waves, elevated troponin I (1.08 ng/mL)	3 days after onset of stress cardiomyopathy, ECG showed diffuse T wave inversion and QT prolongation	[17]
57/F	<24 hours	2 episodes of seizures and confusion the morning after a night of binge drinking, fever, tachycardia, agitation, diaphoresis, tremulousness,	Hypotension, T wave inversion, QT prolongation, elevated troponin I (4.075 micrograms/L), subsequent elevated jugular venous pressure and peripheral edema	History of alcohol-related seizures; patient required vasopressor support; reversal of left ventricular wall motion abnormalities 12 days prior to admission	[18]
45/F	96–120 hours	Epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting 72 hours after discontinuation of alcohol, tremulousness, tachycardia, CIWA of 9	T wave inversion, troponin elevation (0.974 ng/mL)	—	[19]
57/F	>10 days	Intense agitation, tachycardia, tachypnea	Tachycardia, tachypnea, pulmonary edema, Q waves, ST elevation, T wave inversion, subsequent ECG revealed diffuse T wave inversion and QT prolongation	Patient admitted for elective thoracotomy; patient was reintubated after procedure due to hypoxemic respiratory failure; dexmedetomidine used in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms; patient later developed cardiogenic shock and required vasopressors and intra-aortic balloon pump	[20]