background: the role of methadone in qtc prolongation, torsades de pointes (tdp) arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death has been debated. because of widespread use of methadone in methadone maintenance treatment (mmt) centers, we aimed to study dose-related effects of methadone on qtc prolongation. methods: in a comparative observational study, 90 patients who were under mmt were evaluated. patien...

BACKGROUND Prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval is a key issue for patients who receive psychotropic medications. Such patients may have baseline clinical risk factors for QTc prolongation, and many psychotropic medications may further prolong this interval. This has great clinical relevance, as QTc prolongation is linked with dangerous arrhythmias, especially torsades de pointes (Td...

Background: The role of methadone in QTc prolongation, Torsades de Pointes (TdP) arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death has been debated. Because of widespread use of methadone in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) centers, we aimed to study dose-related effects of methadone on QTc prolongation. Methods: In a comparative observational study, 90 patients who were under MMT were evaluated. Patien...

Background HAART has improved survival of HIV patients. Its contribution to the development of new cardiovascular abnormalities has generated much interest. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of QTc prolongation among HIV patients and determining the influence if any of the use of HAART on the QTc and on the risk of having QTc prolongation. Materials and Methods One hundred and fi...

Prolongation of QTC is an electrocardiographic finding indicating prolongation of cardiac repolarization, which increases the risk for torsades de pointes, a form of ventricular tachycardia that can lead to sudden cardiac death. Sudden cardiac death in the setting of antipsychotic treatment was first described in the 1960s with thioridazine; since that time, many other psychotropic medications ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine whether or not levofloxacin has any relationship with QT prolongation in a real clinical setting by analyzing a clinical data warehouse of data collected from different hospital information systems. METHODS Electronic prescription data and medical charts from 3 different hospitals spanning the past 9 years were reviewed, and a clinical data wareh...

BACKGROUND We evaluated the effectiveness of a computer clinical decision support system (CDSS) for reducing the risk of QT interval prolongation in hospitalized patients. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated 2400 patients admitted to cardiac care units at an urban academic medical center. A CDSS incorporating a validated risk score for QTc prolongation was developed and implemented using informa...

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 A variety of ECG changes occur as an aftermath of stroke. Prolongation of the QTc interval is a well-documented change. We analyzed QTc interval prolongation among patients with acute hemorrhagic strokes. METHODS This observational study was conducted at the Emergency Department of Sulaymaniyah General Teaching Hospital and Shar Hospital from September 1st, 2014 to August 31st, 201...

BACKGROUND We investigated an association between baseline heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval before severe hypoglycemia (SH) and prolongation of QTc interval during SH in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS Between January 2004 and June 2014, 208 patients with T2DM, who visited the emergency department because of SH and underwent standard 12-lead electrocardiography wi...