Effect of quinidine on plasma concentration and renal clearance of digoxin. A clinically important drug interaction. 1980

R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson

1 Thirty patients on maintenance digoxin therapy and admitted for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation were closely monitored with regard to plasma levels of digoxin and quinidine. 2 Seventeen of these patients were kept on maintenance digoxin therapy. After an initial lag period of 6 to 18 h after the addition of quinidine their digoxin levels started to increase and had increased by between 20 and 330% after 3 days on quinidine. Side-effects attributed to the raised digoxin concentration occurred in 6 of these patients. 3 As studied in 5 of these 17 patients the renal clearance of digoxin decreased markedly when quinidine was added to the therapy. There was also a slight but significant reduction in creatinine clearance (n = 4). 4 In 13 patients digoxin was discontinued 36 h prior to the first quinidine dose. Also in these patients digoxin plasma levels increased significantly. 5 It is concluded that quinidine causes an unpredictably large increase in plasma digoxin and that this effect is probably at least initially to a large part due to a redistribution of digoxin in the body. The relative contributions of re-distribution and impaired renal clearance of digoxin to the increase in digoxin steady-state levels are presently unknown. 6 It is recommended that close monitoring of digoxin concentration and appropriate reduction of the maintenance dose is undertaken when quinidine is to be given to patients on digitalis therapy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011802 Quinidine An optical isomer of quinine, extracted from the bark of the CHINCHONA tree and similar plant species. This alkaloid dampens the excitability of cardiac and skeletal muscles by blocking sodium and potassium currents across cellular membranes. It prolongs cellular ACTION POTENTIALS, and decreases automaticity. Quinidine also blocks muscarinic and alpha-adrenergic neurotransmission. Adaquin,Apo-Quinidine,Chinidin,Quincardine,Quinidex,Quinidine Sulfate,Quinora,Apo Quinidine,Sulfate, Quinidine
D003404 Creatinine Creatinine Sulfate Salt,Krebiozen,Salt, Creatinine Sulfate,Sulfate Salt, Creatinine
D004077 Digoxin A cardiotonic glycoside obtained mainly from Digitalis lanata; it consists of three sugars and the aglycone DIGOXIGENIN. Digoxin has positive inotropic and negative chronotropic activity. It is used to control ventricular rate in ATRIAL FIBRILLATION and in the management of congestive heart failure with atrial fibrillation. Its use in congestive heart failure and sinus rhythm is less certain. The margin between toxic and therapeutic doses is small. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p666) Digacin,Digitek,Digoregen,Digoxina Boehringer,Digoxine Nativelle,Dilanacin,Hemigoxine Nativelle,Lanacordin,Lanicor,Lanoxicaps,Lanoxin,Lanoxin-PG,Lenoxin,Mapluxin,Boehringer, Digoxina,Lanoxin PG,Nativelle, Digoxine,Nativelle, Hemigoxine
D004347 Drug Interactions The action of a drug that may affect the activity, metabolism, or toxicity of another drug. Drug Interaction,Interaction, Drug,Interactions, Drug
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor

Related Publications

R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
September 1981, Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
January 1985, Acta medica Scandinavica,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
October 1978, British medical journal,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
September 1982, Drugs,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
July 1984, Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
December 1979, British medical journal,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
September 1983, Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
January 1982, European journal of clinical pharmacology,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
October 1984, Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics,
R Dahlqvist, and G Ejvinsson, and K Schenck-Gustafsson
October 1982, Clinical physiology (Oxford, England),
Copied contents to your clipboard!