Key result
Cocaine infusion increased the ventricular fibrillation threshold compared with placebo (84.6 vs 55.8 mA; p=0.04), reducing ventricular vulnerability to fibrillation in normal canine hearts.
Why the study?
Does cocaine reduce ventricular vulnerability to fibrillation (measured by VFT) in anesthetized dogs with normal hearts?
RCT (n=20)
blinded
randomized
Does cocaine reduce ventricular vulnerability to fibrillation (measured by VFT) in anesthetized dogs with normal hearts?
Absolute Event Rate: 84.6% vs 55.8%
p-value: p=0.04
In a normal canine heart model, cocaine acts similarly to class I antiarrhythmic agents by increasing the ventricular fibrillation threshold and prolonging electrophysiologic intervals.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
May warrant caution extrapolating to human cocaine users; leaves open effects in diseased hearts.
Tisdale et al. (1996) conducted an RCT in normal canine heart (n=20). Cocaine vs. Placebo was evaluated on Ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) at 150 minutes (p=0.04). Cocaine infusion increased the ventricular fibrillation threshold compared with placebo (84.6 vs 55.8 mA; p=0.04), reducing ventricular vulnerability to fibrillation in normal canine hearts.
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