Why the study?
Does induced mechanical hyperventilation improve QRS narrowing in patients with severe cardiotoxicity secondary to tricyclic antidepressant overdosage?
Does induced mechanical hyperventilation improve QRS narrowing in patients with severe cardiotoxicity secondary to tricyclic antidepressant overdosage?
Induced mechanical hyperventilation may improve intracardiac conduction and potentially prevent ventricular dysrhythmias in severe TCA overdose.
Hyperventilation may narrow QRS in TCA cardiotoxicity; hypothesis-generating case data leave efficacy open pending controlled trials.
Three patients wtih severe cardiotoxicity secondary to tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdosage were treated with induced mechanical hyperventilation. All three demonstrated marked QRS narrowing, reflecting improved intracardiac conduction, after hyperventilation therapy. Such therapy may help to prevent or abolish ventricular dysrhythmias, often a feature of life-threatening TCA overdoses.
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Bessen et al. (1986) studied this question.