Faculty Collaboration Database

Use of amiodarone for short-term and adjuvant therapy in young patients. Am J Cardiol 1991 Sep 01;68(6):603-8

Date

09/11/1991

Pubmed ID

1678926

DOI

10.1016/0002-9149(91)90351-k

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0025944903 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   44 Citations

Abstract

Limited data are available defining the safety of amiodarone for short-term use or as part of combination antiarrhythmic therapy in pediatric patients. Results of amiodarone in 47 young patients for an average treatment duration of 12 months were examined. There were 21 male and 26 female patients (age range of 23 weeks gestation to 29 years). Patients were divided into 4 groups: group 1--electrocardiographic documented ventricular tachycardia (n = 7); group 2--syncope of unknown cause (n = 16); group 3--primary atrial tachycardia (n = 11); and group 4--supraventricular tachycardia (n = 13). Amiodarone was clinically useful in 32 (68%) patients. Amiodarone was considered effective as a sole antiarrhythmic agent in 21 (45%) patients. Treatment was ineffective but was continued in 11 (23%) patients; in 10 of these 11 patients amiodarone was adjuvant to other antiarrhythmic drugs. Amiodarone was considered ineffective and was withdrawn in 15 (32%) patients. No patient required cardiac pacemaker implant during therapy. Torsades de pointes and cardiac arrest occurred in 1 patient each after 9 and 14 days of therapy, respectively. Two patients underwent successful cardiac transplant after 2 and 14 months of amiodarone administration, respectively. Amiodarone was used as short-term treatment (less than 18 months) in 7 infants (age less than 18 months), and after cessation of treatment there was no recurrence of tachycardia for 4 to 24 months. Results of this study confirm reports of successful amiodarone use in pediatric patients with a variety of rhythm disturbances.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Author List

Pongiglione G, Strasburger JF, Deal BJ, Benson DW Jr

Author

Janette F. Strasburger MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Administration, Oral
Adolescent
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
Adult
Amiodarone
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Child
Child, Preschool
Drug Combinations
Electrocardiography, Ambulatory
Female
Fetal Diseases
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Syncope
Tachycardia
Tachycardia, Supraventricular
Time Factors