Abstract
We present an interesting case where electrocardiogram (ECG) recording
in a patient with tremors mimics atrial flutter. A 77 -year-old south
Asian lady with history of hypertension and Parkinson‘s disease
presented to a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan with cough and fever.
On second day of admission she started having pleuritic chest pain,
Initial ECG was interpreted as atrial flutter. When her ECG was reviewed
by a cardiologist, several features questioned the diagnosis of atrial
flutter. A repeat 12 lead ECG clearly demonstrated normal sinus rhythm
and the patient remained completely asymptomatic throughout the hospital
stay. Tremor induced artifacts can be mistaken for arrhythmias. Correct
diagnosis is critically important, in order to avoid wrong treatment and
unnecessary interventions.