Drug-Induced Arrhythmias

The American Heart Association just issued a scientific statement for drug-induced arrhythmias. Drugs from many therapeutic classes may cause or ex-acerbate a variety of arrhythmias. Awareness of drugs that may cause arrhythmias and specific arrhythmias that may be drug induced is important. Numerus drugs can prolong the QT interval and provoke torsades de pointes. Drugs can also trigger other arrhythmias, including bradyarrhythmias, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, and Brugada syndrome. For some drug-induced arrhythmias, attention to risk factors may facilitate prevention and risk reduction. In patients with nonmodifiable risk factors who require a potentially arrhythmia-inducing drug, enhanced electrocardiographic and other monitoring strategies may be beneficial for early detection and treatment. Consideration of the possibility that a patient’s arrythmia could be drug-induced is important. Management of drug-induced arrhythmias includes discontinuation of the offending medication and following treatment guidelines for the specific arrhythmia. Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/