ABSTRACT
A 55-year-old man presented to the emergency department complaining of palpitations and shortness of breath. He felt the palpitations developed suddenly 45 min earlier. He had been unwell with diarrhoea and vomiting over the preceding 2 days, as had other members of the household. His past medical history included ischaemic heart disease and a previous myocardial infarction 4 years earlier, for which he underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention with two stents sited. His regular medications were: atorvastatin 80 mg ON and aspirin 75 mg OD. The patient worked as an art teacher and lived with his wife and two teenaged children. He was an ex-smoker with a 25-pack year history and did not drink alcohol.
