title: Basic Cardiac Electrophysiology and Common Drug-induced Arrhythmias.
abstract: Drugs can be a double-edged sword, providing the benefit of symptom alleviation and disease modification but potentially causing harm from adverse cardiac arrhythmic events. Proarrhythmia is the ability of a drug to cause an arrhythmia, the number one reason for drugs to be withdrawn from the patient. Drug-induced arrhythmias are defined as the production of de novo arrhythmias or aggravation of existing arrhythmias, as a result of previous or concomitant pharmacologic treatment. This review summarizes normal cardiac cell and tissue functioning and provides an overview of drugs that effect cardiac repolarization and the adverse effects of commonly administered antiarrhythmics.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Electrophysiology, Stanford Health Care, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: General Medical Disciplines, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: dpickham@stanfordhealthcare.org.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pickham
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology; D054849:Cardiac Electrophysiology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
keywords: Arrhythmias; Automaticity; Drug-induced; Electrocardiography; Proarrhythmic; Re-entry; Triggered activity