title: [Early onset of torsades de Pointes and elevated levels of serum troponin I due to acute arsenic poisoning].
abstract: Most cases of acute arsenic poisoning occur through accidental or voluntary ingestion of pesticides or insecticides, and all body systems are affected. Arsenic can prolong the QT interval and lead to torsades of Pointes, a crucial type of arrhythmia characteristic of such QT interval prolongation. In our revision of the literature, there have been found only 5 cases of torsades of Pointes due to acute arsenic poisoning. Recently, there have been published four additional cases in patients with refractory or recurrent acute promyelocytic leukemia being treated with arsenic trioxide. In all nine cases, torsades of pointes appeared slowly after poisoning. Herein is described a case of acute arsenic poisoning which led to an early onset of torsades of Pointes, hypopotasemia and high levels of serum troponin I.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Alarcos, Ciudad Real, España. jortegacar@wanadoo.es
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortega Carnicer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruiz Lorenzo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mañas García
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ceres Alabau
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016171:Torsades de Pointes / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced*; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019210:Troponin I