It has been proposed that some deaths attributed to methadone are related to prolongation of the QTc interval; however, there are no clear recommendations on electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in patients undergoing intravenous methadone infusion. This is a report on a patient receiving methadone intravenous patient-controlled analgesia titration for the treatment of chronic pain. Initially, he...

BACKGROUND In a recent cohort study, prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc) was associated with an independent increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). We evaluated determinants of prolonged QTc and the relationship of prolonged QTc to SCD risk among patients with coronary artery disease in the general population. METHODS AND RESULTS A case-control design was used. Cases were SC...

BACKGROUND Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) often causes a prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval during the acute phase. The aim of the present study was to examine independent risk factors for QTc prolongation in patients with SAH by means of multivariate analysis. METHOD We studied 100 patients who were admitted within 24 hours after onset of SAH. Standard 12-lead electrocardiography...

Background Prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval is well known for many drugs, some of which are an integral part of the therapeutic regimen after lung transplantation (LTX). Therefore, we investigated the QTc interval after LTX in the present study. Patients and Methods The medical records of patients after LTX were studied for demographic data, indication of LTX, medication, and b...

AIMS We sought to explore the response of the corrected QT (QTc) interval duration and QT dispersion (QTD) to hemodialysis. METHODS We enrolled 50 patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing regular hemodialysis. Blood samples were drawn for measurement of serum electrolytes, and a 12-lead ECG was performed to measure the QTc interval duration and QTD, immediately before and just after d...

BACKGROUND Methadone (ME) is commonly used in pain and palliative care (PPC) patients with refractory pain or intolerable opioid adverse effects (AEs). A unique ME AE is its corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation risk, but most evidence exists in methadone maintenance therapy patients. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to identify QTc interval prolongation risk factors in PPC patients receiving ME and...

BACKGROUND The role of QTc interval prolongation in heart failure remains poorly defined. To better understand it, we analyzed the QTc interval duration in patients with heart failure with high B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and analyzed the combined prognostic impact of prolonged QTc and elevated BNP. METHODS AND RESULTS QTc intervals were measured in 241 patients with heart failure...

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of variability in the duration of the QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) on the occurrence of sudden death. DESIGN Nested case-referent study. SUBJECTS Cohort of 6693 consecutive patients who underwent 24 hour electrocardiography and were followed up for two years. Risk implications of QTc interval variables were studied in patients without evidence of...

BACKGROUND: Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy is a relatively ill-characterized condition, which is often under-diagnosed due to absence of defined diagnostic criteria. ECG showing corrected QT Interval prolongation is the most suitable available option for diagnosis of this condition. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of corrected QT interval prolongation in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODOLO...

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the incremental prognostic information provided by multiple corrected QT (QTc) measurements on serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) in patients with the inherited long QT syndrome (LQTS). BACKGROUND A baseline QTc of > or =500 ms has been shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiac events among LQTS patients. However, the value of QTc measurements on follow-up EC...