A 26-year-old woman with no cardiovascular risk factors experienced cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation and prolonged QTc interval, with cannabis as the only identified potential cause.
Emergency physicians, cardiologists, and clinicians evaluating unexplained cardiac arrest in young adults.
Cardiac arrest with QTc of 483 ms in a 26-year-old with no cardiovascular risk factors except cannabis use
What the researchers found
A 26-year-old chronic cannabis user presented with sudden cardiac arrest. Initial rhythm was ventricular fibrillation. QTc interval was prolonged at 483 ms. Urine drug screen was positive for THC. Cardiac catheterization at 4 weeks showed normal coronary arteries. Left ventricular ejection fraction, initially reduced to 25-30%, normalized by catheterization. She sustained hypoxic-ischemic brain injury requiring prolonged rehabilitation.
Why it matters
As cannabis use expands, clinicians need to consider cannabis-induced cardiotoxicity in young patients presenting with cardiac arrest or arrhythmias, especially when no other risk factors are identified.
The numbers in context
Age 26. QTc 483 ms. Initial LVEF 25-30%, later normalized. Normal coronary arteries. Only THC positive on drug screen.
How the study worked
Single case report with ECG, cardiac catheterization, urine drug screen, and clinical follow-up.
What this study cannot tell us
Single case report cannot establish causation. QTc prolongation has many potential causes. No pre-existing ECG available for comparison. Cannabis use may be coincidental rather than causal.
How to read the evidence
Single case report provides the lowest level of clinical evidence. Cannot establish causation between cannabis and cardiac arrest.
When this study was published
2025 publication.
The bigger picture
A growing number of case reports link cannabis to QTc prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias. While causation cannot be established from case reports, the pattern of young patients with no other risk factors experiencing life-threatening cardiac events warrants systematic investigation.
Questions still open
- Does chronic cannabis use cause clinically significant QTc prolongation?
- Should regular cannabis users be screened with ECGs?
Read the original research
Cannabis-Induced Cardiac Arrest in a Young Adult: A Case Report.
The American journal of case reports, 26, e950077
Citation
Irshad, Sana; Adrejiya, Parth; Abubaker, Mohammad; Adatsi, Theophilus; Idenyi, Oluchi; Maddika, Srikanth; Gorle, Swathi; Thandra, Abhishek; Chennareddy, Srinivasa R. (2025). Cannabis-Induced Cardiac Arrest in a Young Adult: A Case Report.. The American journal of case reports, 26, e950077. https://doi.org/10.12659/AJCR.950077
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