title: [Amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity].
abstract: Amiodarone is highly effective in suppressing ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. The most serious adverse reaction is pulmonary toxicity. The mechanisms involved in amiodarone-induced pulmonary injury are incompletely understood. Several forms of pulmonary disease occur including interstitial pneumonitis, fibrosis or organizing pneumonia. The incidence is generally lower with lower maintenance doses (<or= 300 mg/d). There are no adequate predictors of pulmonary toxicity due to amiodarone. The diagnosis of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity is one of exclusion. Treatment consists primarily of stopping amiodarone application. Corticosteroid therapy can be life-saving for severe cases and for patients in whom withdrawl of amiodarone is not possible.
authors.affiliation: Innere Medizin III, Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Homburg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heisel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stopp
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ukena
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schieffer
mesh_terms: D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001986:Bronchial Spasm / Q000139:chemically induced; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D018549:Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D011379:Prognosis; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone