title: Sodium bicarbonate to correct widened QRS in a case of flecainide overdose.
abstract: A 16-yr-old male attempted suicide by ingesting approximately 4000 mg of flecainide. He developed coma, hypotension, and ventricular tachycardia. In addition to supportive care and antidysrhythmics, he received intravenous sodium bicarbonate for the wide complex dysrhythmia. Animal studies and anecdotal human experience have suggested that increasing the extracellular sodium improves cardiac conduction in flecainide toxicity. The patient's QRS narrowed immediately following sodium bicarbonate infusion. Sodium bicarbonate may be useful in the treatment of widened QRS and ventricular ectopy resulting from flecainide toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212-4772, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mowry
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kirk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005424:Flecainide / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D005424:Flecainide