title: Successful treatment of propafenone-induced cardiac arrest by calcium gluconate.
abstract: Propafenone is prescribed for the control of cardiac ventricular arrhythmias. Poisoning from propafenone intoxication is rare, but the survival rate of patients is low. We present a case of a 37-year-old man who developed cardiac arrest due to propafenone intoxication. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, plasmapheresis, and other medical treatments had no effect on cardiac arrest. After repeated administrations of calcium gluconate, the patient achieved a full recovery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in which a full recovery from cardiac arrest was achieved by administration of calcium gluconate. We recommend that for patients poisoned by propafenone, close monitoring for decreased blood calcium is important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Room, Taizhou First People's Hospital, Huangyan Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taizhou First People's Hospital, Huangyan Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: yangzaixingdiyi@163.com.
authors.forename: Zaixing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D002125:Calcium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods; D011405:Propafenone / Q000506:poisoning*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D011405:Propafenone; D002125:Calcium Gluconate
keywords: Blood calcium; Calcium rescue; Intoxication; Propafenone