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Postgrad Med J 2000;76:653-654 doi:10.1136/pmj.76.900.653
  • Adverse drug reaction of the month

Commentary—QT prolongation due to roxithromycin

  1. Alasdair Malcolm
  1. Dr A Malcolm, Lake House, Copthorne Road, Felbridge, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 2QQ, UK

    This case and supporting discussion highlight the circumstances in which drug induced prolongation of the QT interval may occur and they serve as a reminder of the associated risk of the serious complication of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia—also known astorsade de pointes—which can lead to ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest.1-3 The arrhythmia is a non-sustained wide QRS complex (usually >160 ms in duration) tachycardia which tends to occur in repetitive bursts of 4–20 complexes at fast rates (generally 200–250/min) with characteristic variation in QRS amplitude and axis leading to …

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