Sotalol: a rescue drug in the face of life-threatening refractory ventricular tachycardia.

We describe postoperative refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT) in a patient following aortic and mitral valve replacement. Following an uneventful separation from cardiopulmonary bypass with dobutamine, the patient developed recurrent VT, 4 hours into the postoperative period. The VT did not respond to standard doses of xylocard, magnesium and amiodarone.