An infant fatality following verapamil therapy for supraventricular tachycardia: cardiovascular collapse following intravenous verapamil. 1985

J S Garland, and R J Berens, and J D Losek, and A D Wilson

A four-month-old infant with myocarditis and supraventricular tachycardia was given intravenous verapamil (0.1 mg/kg). Immediately following the dosage, the patient developed cardiovascular collapse. Aggressive, appropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitative efforts--including ventricular pacing--failed to reverse verapamil-induced decompensation. Myocarditis may have been responsible for our failure to resuscitate this infant successfully. To our knowledge, this is the first reported pediatric fatality following intravenous verapamil. We suggest that proven or suspected myocarditis should be added to the list of contraindications for intravenous verapamil therapy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008297 Male Males
D009205 Myocarditis Inflammatory processes of the muscular walls of the heart (MYOCARDIUM) which result in injury to the cardiac muscle cells (MYOCYTES, CARDIAC). Manifestations range from subclinical to sudden death (DEATH, SUDDEN). Myocarditis in association with cardiac dysfunction is classified as inflammatory CARDIOMYOPATHY usually caused by INFECTION, autoimmune diseases, or responses to toxic substances. Myocarditis is also a common cause of DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY and other cardiomyopathies. Carditis,Myocarditides
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012769 Shock A pathological condition manifested by failure to perfuse or oxygenate vital organs. Circulatory Collapse,Circulatory Failure,Hypovolemic Shock,Collapse, Circulatory,Failure, Circulatory,Shock, Hypovolemic
D013617 Tachycardia, Supraventricular A generic expression for any tachycardia that originates above the BUNDLE OF HIS. Supraventricular Tachycardia,Supraventricular Tachycardias,Tachycardias, Supraventricular
D014700 Verapamil A calcium channel blocker that is a class IV anti-arrhythmia agent. Iproveratril,Calan,Cordilox,Dexverapamil,Falicard,Finoptin,Isoptin,Isoptine,Izoptin,Lekoptin,Verapamil Hydrochloride,Hydrochloride, Verapamil

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