Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
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Prolongation of the QT interval has been associated with increased risk of torsades de pointes and death. Concurrent use of more than one QT-prolonging drug or a QT-prolonging drug with a drug that alters its pharmacokinetic profile is an important risk factor for adverse outcomes. ⋯ Potential drug interactions involving currently marketed QT-prolonging drugs occurred in 4.6% of patients who had a prescription for a QT-prolonging medication. The findings suggest several areas for targeted interventions to decrease the potential risk from QT-prolonging medications.