Digitalis overdosage can rarely manifest as nodal tachycardia, which may be terminated by carotid sinus pressure.
May terminate nodal tachycardia in digitalis toxicity; case reports leave open reliability and safety.
Article1 April 1950NODAL TACHYCARDIA FOLLOWING DIGITALIS OVERDOSAGE (STOPPED BY CAROTID SINUS PRESSURE): REPORT OF TWO CASESLAWRENCE I. STELLAR, M.D., F.A.C.P.LAWRENCE I. STELLAR, M.D., F.A.C.P.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-32-4-717 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptOne of the manifestations of digitalis overdosage may be the sudden occurrence of a regular tachycardia. Ventricular tachycardia has been described most commonly.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 More rarely auricular tachycardia has been observed.6, 9, 10 Three cases of auricular flutter following toxic doses of digitalis have been reported,11, 12 whereas there has been only one reported case of nodal tachycardia.13This paper presents two additional cases of nodal tachycardia following digitalis therapy. Moreover, these patients demonstrated an unusual clinical course and an uncommon series of electrocardiograms that are deemed worth reporting.Without regard to etiology, in...Bibliography1. Gilchrist AR: Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, Am. Heart J. 1: 546-563, 1926. CrossrefGoogle Scholar2. Marvin HM: Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia with alternating complexes due to digitalis intoxication, Am. Heart J. 4: 21-52, 1928. CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. Schwensen C: Ventricular tachycardia as the result of administration of digitalis, Heart 9: 199-205, 1922. Google Scholar4. Luten D: Clinical studies of digitalis. III. Advanced toxic rhythms, Arch. Int. Med. 35: 87-99, 1925. CrossrefGoogle Scholar5. Felberbaum D: Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, Am. J. M. Sc. 166: 211-222, 1923. CrossrefGoogle Scholar6. Luten D: Clinical studies of digitalis. II. Toxic rhythms with especial reference to the similarity between such rhythms in man and in the cat, Arch. Int. Med. 35: 74-86, 1925. 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StrongLevine GFSA: The irregularity of the ventricular rate in paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, Heart 10: 125-131, 1923. Google Scholar27. StrongMunroe GFDS: Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia with report of unusual case, Am. Heart J. 19: 486-491, 1940. CrossrefGoogle Scholar28. Richardson HB: A-V rhythm and digitalis, Arch. Int. Med. 29: 253-260, 1922. CrossrefGoogle Scholar29. CohnFraser AEFR: Paroxysmal tachycardia and the effect of stimulation of the vagus nerves by pressure, Heart 5: 93-104, 1913. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: *Received for publication March 25, 1948.From the First and Third Medical Services (Tufts) Boston City Hospital, and the Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.Aided by a grant from the Charlton Fund. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byInfluence of exercise on arrhythmias induced by digitalis-diuretic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillationUnusual Tolerance to DigitalisEffect of digitalis on conduction of the heartVentricular Fibrillation during Carotid-Sinus StimulationA-V Nodal Tachycardia with BlockThe toxicology of digitalis∗Arrhythmias and conduction disturbances due to digitalisTherapie der HerzinsuffizienzAcetyl strophanthidin sensitivity in dogs with congestive heart failureVariationen der Pulszeitstreuung beim Karotisdruckversuch am Menschen in Fällen von vegetativ-endokrinen RegulationsstörungenDigitalis Poisoning and Its TreatmentCritical rates in ventricular conduction 1 April 1950Volume 32, Issue 4Page: 717-727KeywordsElectrocardiographyEtiologyHospital medicineMedical servicesTachycardiaVentricular tachycardia ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1950 PDF downloadLoading ...
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Lawrence I. Stellar (1950) studied this question.
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