Work

Thyroid storm and cardiac arrest: a scoping review of case presentations

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background Thyroid storm complicated by cardiac arrest is infrequently reported. Although established guidance addresses thyroid storm and cardiac arrest separately, evidence specific to their combined presentation is limited. This scoping review maps the clinical characteristics, reported management and outcomes of published cases and identifies gaps in clinical documentation. Methods PubMed, Scopus and Embase were searched on 23 September 2026 without a lower publication-date limit for English-language case reports, series and conference abstracts describing thyroid storm with documented cardiac arrest. Screening and data extraction were performed with the assistance of AI, with two authors independently extracting data in duplicate. Publications and patients were linked separately. Clinical features, treatment chronology, source-attributed mechanisms and outcomes were summarized descriptively. Results Seventy-six publications described 78 patients. Beta-blocker receipt at any point in the reported course was documented in 55 patients; 28 had a source-described temporal relationship between administration and an arrest, including recurrent arrests. This denominator consists entirely of published cardiac-arrest cases and does not estimate treatment-related risk. Ventricular dysfunction was documented in 49 patients, with variable assessment timing. Discharge alive was explicitly reported in 39 patients, death in 15, and transfer alive without explicit discharge wording in two; the final outcome was unestablished in 22. ECMO, plasma exchange or continuous renal replacement therapy was reported in 29 patients. Conclusions Published reports describe temporal proximity between beta-blocker administration and cardiac arrest in some patients with thyroid storm, but cannot establish causality or comparative treatment safety. Incomplete reporting of treatment timing and cardiac function limits interpretation. Prospective, standardized data collection is needed to investigate these observations. Registration Open Science Framework, registration 7b8xu. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Source: BMC Endocrine Disorders

DOI: 10.1186/s12902-026-02676-2

Authors: Andrew Young, Jason Fink, Drew Monteleone-Haught, Melissa Falcon, Sahil Banka

Institutions: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Einstein Healthcare Network

Language: English

Topic: Thyroid Disorders and Treatments

Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190