title: Electrocardiographic changes in a rare case of flecainide poisoning: a case report.
abstract: Flecainide is a class Ic anti - arrhythmic drug with sodium channel blocking activities. We report a case of a 57 year - old woman who attempted a suicide by ingesting approximately 1,8 gr of flecainide. On the surface electrocardiogram this results in a large QRS complex and in prolongation of the QTc interval. Overdose with a class Ic drug is very uncommon, its management is difficult and the mortality high.Because of a hemodynamic instability and in addition to supportive care and antidysrhythmics, she was treated with a high dose of sodium bicarbonate in hypertonic solution; after this infusion the patient's QRS progressive narrowed.In conclusion, sodium bicarbonate may be useful in the treatment of widened QRS and to stabilize a overdose of class Ic anti - arrhythmic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Corso Mario Abbiate 21, 13100, Vercelli, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rognoni
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertolazzi
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peron
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macciò
authors.forename: Gemma Ternavasio
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Cameroni
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gratarola
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rognoni