Sustained torsade de pointes occurring early during oral sotalol therapy for atrial fibrillation recurrence prophylaxis in a patient without heart disease.
This report describes a 64 year-old female patient admitted to our department for recurrent and symptomatic episodes of atrial fibrillation. Antiarrhythmic therapy with sotalol at 240 mg/day was started, and after 48 h the patient experienced several episodes of sustained torsade de pointes, dramatic marked QT interval prolongation and negative T wave, in absence of overt cardiac disease, renal failure, electrolyte abnormalities or baseline QT interval prolongation. This case emphasizes the importance of hospitalization at the starting of sotalol therapy, especially in female patients, even in absence of predisposing factors for drug-induced tachyarrhythmias.
Antonio
A
D'Aloia
Pompilio
P
Faggiano
Loretta
L
Brentana
Alessandra
A
Boldini
Claudio
C
Pedrinazzi
Roberto
R
Procopio
Livio
L
Dei Cas
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013015:Sotalol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D016171:Torsades de Pointes / Q000139:chemically induced*
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D013015:Sotalol