title: QT prolongation and Torsades de Pointes in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus and treated with methadone.
abstract: Four patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus receiving antiretroviral treatment and high doses of methadone (>200 mg/day) presented with several syncopal episodes. A significant prolongation of the QTc interval was detected in all of them, and in 3 patients, > or =1 episode of Torsades de Pointes was recorded. The sequence of events in these cases suggests that high doses of methadone caused QT prolongation and provided the substrate for syncope and Torsades de Pointes.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Infectious Diseases Unit, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí-Hospital de Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Merce
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Ignasi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anguera
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chapinal
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cervantes
authors.forename: Joan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guma
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Segura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016171:Torsades de Pointes / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone