It is often mistaken for a bosom attack, but Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – antecedently known arsenic Broken Heart syndrome – is simply a superior and sometimes fatal bosom information progressively reported successful intensive attraction units (ICUs). Yet without a clear objective pathway successful ICUs, it's often missed, putting critically sick patients astatine risk.
New investigation from nan University of South Australia shows that utilizing electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns and humor markers could supply an early informing strategy for Takotsubo Syndrome successful ICU patients.
The reappraisal highlights really captious attraction nurses pinch precocious ECG skills tin play a cardinal domiciled successful recognising early signs of nan information during regular checks and alerting nan aesculapian team. It besides underscores nan request to found Takotsubo syndrome-specific protocols to guideline timely involution successful ICU settings.
Takotsubo syndrome is an acute cardiac upset that's usually triggered by terrible affectional aliases beingness stress. It causes impermanent changes successful really nan heart's near ventricle pumps, mimicking nan symptoms of a bosom attack. If untreated, it tin lead to life-threatening complications, including irregular heartbeats, fluid build-up successful nan lungs, bosom failure, humor clots, cardiac arrest, and successful immoderate cases, abrupt death.
Assessing existent diagnostic devices utilized to separate Takotsubo syndrome from different cardiac conditions, nan study recovered 14 that utilized ECG patterns, 11 that utilized humor biomarkers, and 5 studies that utilized bosom imaging to observe impermanent changes successful bosom usability linked to nan syndrome.
Lead researcher, and knowledgeable captious attraction nurse, UniSA's Vicky Visvanathan, says location is simply a request to amended ICU objective pathways for patients pinch imaginable Takotsubo syndrome.
Takotsubo syndrome is often seen successful high-risk ICU patients pinch a assortment of illnesses, surgeries, aliases aft definite procedures and anaesthetic drugs."
Vicky Visvanathan, Study Lead Researcher and Critical Care Nurse, University of South Australia
Visvanathan added, "But because these patients are truthful unwell, their symptoms tin beryllium masked by their superior illness, making nan syndrome highly difficult to detect.
"We cognize that reported cases of Takotsubo syndrome successful ICUs alteration wide – from 1.5% to 28% – which we judge is owed to inconsistent detection.
"By processing an ICU-specific objective pathway that integrates existing diagnostic tools, we tin thief captious attraction nurses observe early changes successful a patient's condition, allowing them to place Takotsubo syndrome and initiate due treatment.
"Early nickname tin beryllium nan quality betwixt betterment and a perchance fatal complication. We person nan devices – now we request to merge them into ICU care."
The investigation squad has developed a projected Clinical Pathway for Takotsubo syndrome successful nan ICU, which is presently nether reappraisal by objective teams earlier implementation.
Source:
Journal reference:
Visvanathan, V., et al. (2025). Identification of Takotsubo syndrome successful intensive attraction units: A scoping review. Australian Critical Care. doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101269