Failure of increased use of endoscopy to influence complication rate in peptic ulcer disease.

and no further episodes of ventricular fibrillation occurred.Arterial blood gas tensions at this time were pH 7-3, oxygen pressure 50 7 kPa (380 mm Hg), and carbon dioxide pressure 6-4 kPa (48 mm Hg); standard bicarbonate concentration 21-5 mmol(mEq)/l; and base excess -2-5 mmol(mEq)/l.Amiodarone was continued as an intravenous infusion with 600 mg in 5% dextrose over 12 hours and 300 mg in 5% dextrose for a further 24 hours, during which time an electrocardiogram showed varying degrees of heart block and nodal rhythms.His clinical state improved, and he required only intravenous atropine on two occasions for bradycardia.Serum digoxin concentration was above 5 t&g/l on admission, but the sample was not retained for more accurate determination.Digoxin concentrations did not fall into the therapeutic range until day 5, when a concentration of 1-4 ,ug/l was recorded.As the plasma half life in overdosage is about 13 hours3 the peak digoxin concentration would have been over 40 /eg/l.