title: Amiodarone for the emergency care of children.
abstract: Amiodarone is a class 3 antiarrhythmic agent used for a broad range of arrhythmias including adenosine-resistant supraventricular tachycardia, junctional ectopic tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia. Compared with adults, there are few data on its use in children with arrhythmias resistant to conventional therapy. National and international guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care recommend its use for a variety of arrhythmias based on case reports, cohort studies, and extrapolation from adult data. This article will review the historical development, chemical properties, metabolism, indications and contraindications, and adverse effects of amiodarone in infants and children. After completing this CME activity, the reader should be able to utilize amiodarone in the pediatric population for arrhythmias and identify complications associated with its use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84158, USA. roni.lane@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Roni D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Kim-Tan
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Niemann
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bolte
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Etheridge
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gausche-Hill
mesh_terms: D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone