Case of Cardiac Arrest Treated with Extra-Corporeal Life Support after MDMA Intoxication

OBJECTIVE: To describe the case of a patient who developed a serotonin syndrome due to a 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ingestion with electrical storm and refractory cardiac arrest. DESIGN: Case report. STUDY SELECTION: ICU of a university hospital. PATIENT: A 22-year-old man transferred to the emergency room with hyperthermia, tremors, and mydriasis presented a cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. INTERVENTIONS: We implemented extra-corporeal life support combined with vasoactive drugs. Later, he also benefited from renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We were able to rapidly regulate our patient's temperature and we weaned all hemodynamic support in the first week of hospitalisation. CONCLUSION: Extracorporeal life support has several advantages as part of the management of hemodynamic instability induced by serotonin syndrome.