Ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block for refractory sympathetically mediated arrhythmia following acute myocardial infarction: a tutorial and examples - Summary - MDSpire

Ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block for refractory sympathetically mediated arrhythmia following acute myocardial infarction: a tutorial and examples

  • By

  • Ranwei Yao

  • Yingjie Che

  • Xiuling Wu

  • June 19, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block (SGB) as a rescue therapy for refractory ventricular arrhythmias and one case of rapid atrial flutter following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Approach:
    Key Findings:
    • SGB successfully aborted electrical storm in all 5 patients (100%).
    • Median number of defibrillations per patient decreased significantly from 4 (IQR: 2.5–21) before SGB to 0 (IQR: 0–1) after SGB.
    • Ipsilateral Horner syndrome developed in all cases, confirming successful sympathetic blockade.
    • No procedure-related complications were observed.
    Interpretation:

    SGB is a safe and effective bedside intervention for terminating and stabilizing refractory sympathetic arrhythmia in post-AMI patients.

    Limitations:
    • Small sample size of only five patients.
    • Retrospective nature of the study limits generalizability.
    Conclusion:

    SGB can serve as an important adjunctive therapy to reduce the need for repeated electrical defibrillation in patients with refractory arrhythmias post-AMI.

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