British journal of clinical pharmacology
-
Br J Clin Pharmacol · Feb 2007
In-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with use of non-antiarrhythmic QTc-prolonging drugs.
QTc interval-prolonging drugs have been linked to cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and sudden death. In this study we aimed to quantify the risk of cardiac arrest associated with the use of non-antiarrhythmic QTc-prolonging drugs in an academic hospital setting. ⋯ Use of non-antiarrhythmic QTc-prolonging drugs in hospitalized patients with several underlying disease is associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrest. The effect is dose related and pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions increase the risk substantially. Physicians caring for inpatients should be made aware of the fact that these non-antiarrhythmic drugs may be hazardous, so that potential risks can be weighed against treatment benefits and additional cardiac surveillance can be requested, if necessary.