A 38-year-old man diagnosed as having COVID-19 pneumonia was transferred to our hospital from another hospital. The patient had received favipiravir at the previous hospital, and as he still had severe respiratory dysfunction, we added hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to the treatment regimen for COVID-19 pneumonia at our hospital. The respiratory status improved gradually with the treatment and the patient began to be weaned from mechanical ventilation. However, on the 5th hospital day, the patient developed ventricular fibrillation (Vf) and cardiac arrest, with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) 2 minutes after the start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. An electrocardiogram recorded after the ROSC showed not QT interval prolongation, but first-degree atrioventricular block. Nevertheless, because both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin could cause QT interval prolongation, both were discontinued and the Vf did not recur. The patient was transferred to another hospital after extubation and had no neurological deficit. Herein, we report a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia who developed Vf while being treated with hydroxychloroquine,azithromycin and favipiravir.
