Why the study?
Does amiodarone treatment cause pulmonary fibrosis or pneumonitis in patients with severe ventricular arrhythmias?
Does amiodarone treatment cause pulmonary fibrosis or pneumonitis in patients with severe ventricular arrhythmias?
This case series provides the first report of pulmonary fibrosis and pneumonitis as a potentially fatal complication of amiodarone therapy.
Amiodarone may warrant pulmonary toxicity monitoring; case series leaves open incidence and causality in larger cohorts.
Six patients are presented who developed pulmonary infiltrates of undetermined origin while being treated for severe ventricular arrhythmias with amiodarone hydrochloride. Biopsy material was available in four patients and revealed interstitial or alveolar fibrosis and pneumonitis. Four patients recovered and two died of severe cardiopulmonary decompensation; all of the patients who recovered received corticosteroid therapy. Pulmonary fibrosis is a previously unreported complication of amiodarone therapy.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Sobol et al. (1982) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: