Key result
Psychiatric medications, particularly certain antidepressants, are associated with increased risks of cardiac arrhythmias, including a 5- to 6-fold increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Why the study?
What are the risks of cardiac arrhythmias associated with various psychiatric medications?
What are the risks of cardiac arrhythmias associated with various psychiatric medications?
Effect estimate: 5- to 6-fold increase
Psychiatric medications, particularly certain antipsychotics and antidepressants, are associated with significant risks of cardiac arrhythmias, highlighting the danger of combining multiple QT-prolonging drugs.
Highlights the danger of combining multiple QT-prolonging psychiatric drugs; leaves open the need for.
Summary This narrative review summarizes current available information about cardiac arrhythmias (QT prolongation, Torsade de pointes Tachycardia [TdP], sudden cardiac death) associated with psychiatric medication. Among the most commonly used antipsychotics, amisulpride and ziprasidone are most frequently associated with TdP. Treatment with some antidepressants (SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants) is associated with a 5- to 6-fold increase in the incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Lithium is associated with bradycardia, T-wave changes and AV-block; anxiolytics of the benzodiazepine group do usually not have cardiac side effects. The combination of multiple drugs (including medications from general medicine) that prolong the QT interval has a particularly high cardiac risk.
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Freudenmann et al. (2017) conducted a review in Cardiac arrhythmias. Psychiatric medication was evaluated on Cardiac arrhythmias (QT prolongation, Torsade de pointes, sudden cardiac death) (5- to 6-fold increase). Psychiatric medications, particularly certain antidepressants, are associated with increased risks of cardiac arrhythmias, including a 5- to 6-fold increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
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