Torsade de Pointes with severe vitamin D deficiency, an unusual presentation of a common problem

Torsade de Pointes (TdP) is a rare cardiac arrhythmia that is associated with prolonged QTc interval. Hypocalcemia is a common cause of prolonged QTc. Although vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a common disorder in elderly patients with an incidence rate of >40% and can cause hypocalcemia, it has never been linked to TdP. We report a patient with severe VDD that resulted in TdP and cardiac arrest. Post-resuscitation work up illustrated prolonged QTc interval of 620 ms, significant hypocalcemia, and severe VDD of 4 (normal 30–80) ng/mL. After high dose vitamin D/calcium supplements, repeat electrocardiogram revealed normal QTc interval of 423 ms. During hospitalization, the patient suffered no additional arrhythmias and QTc continued to be normal. <Learning objective: Severe vitamin D deficiency is common especially in elderly patients. The diagnosis and treatment of this disorder are simple, but the consequences of severe depletion of vitamin D storage can lead to deep electrolyte abnormalities and life-threatening arrhythmia such as Torsade de Pointes. A simple screening test is effective in preventing a dreadful outcome.>