title: Is maintenance digoxin necessary in patients with sinus rhythm?
abstract: Discontinuation of digoxin in 56 patients with sinus rhythm who had been taking it for a long time did not produce clinical deterioration in 33 of 34 patients whose pre-withdrawal steady-state plasma-digoxin concentration was less than 0.8 ng/ml; fast atrial fibrillation developed in the other patient. 22 patients had plasma-digoxin levels between 0.8 and 2.0 ng/ml before withdrawal--of these, 7 deteriorated without digoxin (5 had atrial fibrillation, which was associated with congestive heart-failure, measurement of the pre-injection period/left-ventricular ejection time (P.E.P./L.V.E.T.) ratio suggested that digoxin did exert a sustained positive inotropic effect. Thus, successful discontinuation of digoxin was possible in 86% of the total group and was more likely when the plasma-digoxin concentration was below 0.8 ng/ml. Unexpected atrial fibrillation was the commonest development inthe 8 patients in whom digoxin withdrawal was unsuccessful.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004077:Digoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004077:Digoxin