[Torsade de pointes caused by tricyclic antidepressive agents. Description of a clinical case]. 1986

F Casazza, and F Fiorista, and A Rustici, and G Brambilla

Tricyclic antidepressant drugs are known to cause often electrocardiographic abnormalities and to induce sometimes cardiac rhythm disturbances. We report a case of a patient on antidepressant therapy (Desipramine Hydrochloride, 50 mg/die, and Dothiepin Hydrochloride, 150 mg/die), without any underlaying heart disease, admitted to our Coronary Care Unit for recurrent syncopal episodes. An ECG on admission showed Sinus Tachycardia with Ectopic Ventricular Beats and recurrent runs of Torsade de Pointes, a distinctive form of Ventricular Tachycardia. Lignocaine i.v. was only transiently effective. Both Isoprenaline and Atropine Sulphate i.v. were uneffective. Ventricular Fibrillation occurred and cardioversion was achieved by a single DC shock. Amiodarone i.v. and electrical overdrive only temporarily suppressed ventricular arrhythmias. Magnesium Sulphate i.v. (bolus + infusion) induced a definitive suppression of Torsades de Pointes. One day later no more arrhythmias were present.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D003891 Desipramine A tricyclic dibenzazepine compound that potentiates neurotransmission. Desipramine selectively blocks reuptake of norepinephrine from the neural synapse, and also appears to impair serotonin transport. This compound also possesses minor anticholinergic activity, through its affinity to muscarinic receptors. Desmethylimipramine,Apo-Desipramine,Demethylimipramine,Desipramine Hydrochloride,Norpramin,Novo-Desipramine,Nu-Desipramine,PMS-Desipramine,Pertofran,Pertofrane,Pertrofran,Petylyl,Ratio-Desipramine,Apo Desipramine,Hydrochloride, Desipramine,Novo Desipramine,Nu Desipramine,PMS Desipramine,Ratio Desipramine
D004308 Dothiepin A tricyclic antidepressant with some tranquilizing action. Dosulepin,Dothiepin Hydrochloride,Prothiaden,Hydrochloride, Dothiepin
D004562 Electrocardiography Recording of the moment-to-moment electromotive forces of the HEART as projected onto various sites on the body's surface, delineated as a scalar function of time. The recording is monitored by a tracing on slow moving chart paper or by observing it on a cardioscope, which is a CATHODE RAY TUBE DISPLAY. 12-Lead ECG,12-Lead EKG,12-Lead Electrocardiography,Cardiography,ECG,EKG,Electrocardiogram,Electrocardiograph,12 Lead ECG,12 Lead EKG,12 Lead Electrocardiography,12-Lead ECGs,12-Lead EKGs,12-Lead Electrocardiographies,Cardiographies,ECG, 12-Lead,EKG, 12-Lead,Electrocardiograms,Electrocardiographies, 12-Lead,Electrocardiographs,Electrocardiography, 12-Lead
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000929 Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic Substances that contain a fused three-ring moiety and are used in the treatment of depression. These drugs block the uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin into axon terminals and may block some subtypes of serotonin, adrenergic, and histamine receptors. However, the mechanism of their antidepressant effects is not clear because the therapeutic effects usually take weeks to develop and may reflect compensatory changes in the central nervous system. Antidepressants, Tricyclic,Tricyclic Antidepressant,Tricyclic Antidepressant Drug,Tricyclic Antidepressive Agent,Tricyclic Antidepressive Agents,Antidepressant Drugs, Tricyclic,Agent, Tricyclic Antidepressive,Agents, Tricyclic Antidepressive,Antidepressant Drug, Tricyclic,Antidepressant, Tricyclic,Antidepressive Agent, Tricyclic,Drug, Tricyclic Antidepressant,Drugs, Tricyclic Antidepressant,Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs,Tricyclic Antidepressants
D013610 Tachycardia Abnormally rapid heartbeat, usually with a HEART RATE above 100 beats per minute for adults. Tachycardia accompanied by disturbance in the cardiac depolarization (cardiac arrhythmia) is called tachyarrhythmia. Tachyarrhythmia,Tachyarrhythmias,Tachycardias

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