Acute hepatitis after amiodarone infusion.
Acute hepatitis is a very rare, but potentially fatal, adverse effect of intravenous amiodarone. We present a case of an 88-year-old man with history of ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and severely depressed left ventricular function that was admitted to our coronary care unit with diagnosis of decompensated heart failure and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. A few hours after the beginning of intravenous amiodarone he developed an acute hepatitis. There was a completely recovery within the next days after amiodarone withdrawn and other causes of acute hepatitis have been ruled out. This case highlights the need for close monitoring of hepatic function during amiodarone infusion in order to identify any potential hepatotoxicity and prevent a fatal outcome. Oral amiodarone is, apparently, a safe option in these patients.
Paulo Fonseca, Adelaide Dias, Helena Gonçalves, Aníbal Albuquerque, Vasco Gama, Cardiology Department, Gaia Hospital Center, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Paulo
P
Fonseca
Paulo Fonseca, Adelaide Dias, Helena Gonçalves, Aníbal Albuquerque, Vasco Gama, Cardiology Department, Gaia Hospital Center, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Adelaide
A
Dias
Paulo Fonseca, Adelaide Dias, Helena Gonçalves, Aníbal Albuquerque, Vasco Gama, Cardiology Department, Gaia Hospital Center, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Helena
H
Gonçalves
Paulo Fonseca, Adelaide Dias, Helena Gonçalves, Aníbal Albuquerque, Vasco Gama, Cardiology Department, Gaia Hospital Center, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Aníbal
A
Albuquerque
Paulo Fonseca, Adelaide Dias, Helena Gonçalves, Aníbal Albuquerque, Vasco Gama, Cardiology Department, Gaia Hospital Center, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Vasco
V
Gama
Amiodarone; Hepatitis; Hepatotoxicity; Idiosyncratic reactions; Polysorbate 80