TITLE OF CASE A successful termination of bidirectional ventricular tachycardia followed by intravenous lidocaine. KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, once a hallmark of severe digitalis toxicity, can also result from causes like catecholaminergic polymorphic VT, aconite poisoning, genetic channelopathies, myocarditis, and myocardial infarction. While electrical cardioversion is recommended for unstable VT, tailored treatments, including intravenous lidocaine, may be effective for BVT-associated myocardial infarction. INTRODUCTION Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (BVT) is a rare and life-threatening arrhythmia with a limited differential diagnosis, including digitalis toxicity, catecholaminergic ventricular tachycardia, aconite poisoning, hereditary channelopathy syndromes, myocarditis and myocardial infarction[1 2]. The precise cause of BVT remains poorly understood. Current guidelines for ventricular tachycardia management typically recommend beta-blockers, propafenone, or flecainide[3]. However, intravenous lidocaine has not been previously recognized as a treatment for BVT. We report a case of a patient presenting to the emergency department with chest pain and hypotension, diagnosed with unstable BVT, which was successfully treated with intravenous lidocaine, restoring normal sinus rhythm. The patient was stabilized, transferred to the cardiac care unit, and later diagnosed with myocardial infarction after cardiac catheterization. The pathophysiology of BDVT is similar to other forms of ventricular tachycardia, involving delayed afterdepolarization, reentry, and automaticity. Given that lidocaine is effective for ventricular tachycardia associated with MI, it may also be beneficial in BVT cases associated with myocardial infarction. KEYWORDS Ventricular, Tachycardia, Myocardial Infarction, Lidocaine, Acute Coronary Syndrome. CASE HISTORY/EXAMINATION An Asian male who was in his 40s with a significant medical history of morbid obesity (BMI of 31), ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (19%) without a prior history of cardiac arrhythmias visited the ED with 30 minutes of central chest discomfort radiating to the left arm. The patient was alert with a blood pressure of 90/69 mmHg, a heart rate of 167 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 22 breaths per minute, and a capillary refill time of less than 2 seconds. No signs of heart failure were observed. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) showed significant tachycardia with a rate of 164 beats per minute and bidirectional QRS morphology strongly suggestive of BVT as shown in Figure 1. Following the initial evaluation, the patient remained hypotensive, requiring continuous cardiac monitoring and immediate cardiology consultation with the differential diagnosis of ischemic cardiomyopathy-related VT, acute myocardial infarction, and toxin-related BVT. The patient was subsequently treated with 100 mg of intravenous lidocaine over three minutes instead of synchronized electrical cardioversion since it could worsen his ventricular ejection fraction. Five minutes after lidocaine had been administered, the ECG returned to sinus rhythm as shown in Figure 2 with a blood pressure of 120/58 mmHg. Laboratory studies revealed a troponin-T level of 520 ng/L, while the test results were unremarkable. Digoxin level was not determined due to the absence of a history of drugs or toxin-related ingestion. INVESTIGATIONS Laboratory studies revealed a troponin-T level of 520 ng/L, while the test results were unremarkable. Digoxin level was not determined due to the absence of a history of drugs or toxin-related ingestion. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS