A life-threatening diagnosis "It usually deteriorates into a more fatal situation."
Dr. Roehll didn't think that the emergency code 99 was for him until medical staff rushed to his bedside. He looked over at the EKG monitor and saw his heart activity was going 180 beats per minute, a sign that the condition could become fatal very soon. But they were able to get his heart back to a regular rhythm and, once he was stabilized, Dr. Roehll was checked into the hospital for further testing.
The medical term for Dr. Roehll's fast heart rhythm is ventricular tachycardia, and if left untreated, it can be life-threatening. At the hospital, Dr. Roehll decided to call Ohio State's Dr. William Abraham, a longtime colleague and someone to whom he had referred his own patients. Over the phone, Dr. Abraham told Dr. Roehll that he should come to Columbus right away.