title: [Central nervous system side effects due to anti-arrhythmia therapy. Psychotic depression due to flecainide].
abstract: A 69-year-old man, who had undergone an aortic-valve replacement for aortic regurgitation and aortoplasty for an aortic aneurysm with re-implantation of the coronary arteries, was given flecainide 100 mg twice daily during the rehabilitation period because of atrial fibrillation and multiple ventricular extrasystoles (Lown 4b). Within a few days he developed a severe depressive psychosis with delusions and acoustic hallucinations which failed to respond to psychoactive drugs. After admission to a psychiatric hospital the anti-arrhythmia drugs were discontinued, drug-induced exogenous psychosis having been diagnosed. A few days later all psychiatric symptoms disappeared without any further complications. Other possible causes of the psychiatric syndrome were excluded.
mesh_terms: D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D005424:Flecainide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005424:Flecainide
vernacular_title: Zentralnervöse Nebenwirkungen unter Antiarrhythmika-Therapie. Psychotische Depression unter Flecainid.