title: Digoxin - time to take the gloves off?
abstract: Digoxin has been used for hundreds of years to aid rate control in atrial fibrillation and as a positive inotrope in heart failure. Our familiarity with digoxin has allowed it to become easily prescribed even though there are data suggesting that use of digoxin may in fact result in increased mortality and pro-arrhythmia. Within this review we explain some of the outcome data associated with digoxin use to determine if it is time to take the gloves off and examine if we should still be using this drug in the 21st century.
authors.affiliation: FY1 Doctor Jersey General Hospital, Jersey, Channel Islands.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eade
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Andrew R J
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004077:Digoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004077:Digoxin