[Clinical aspects of treatment with amiodarone]

[Antiarrhythmic drugs in the present day]

Cardiac arrhythmias cause a significant proportion of hospitalizations and physician contacts worldwide. By using antiarrhythmic drugs, cardiac arrhythmias can be effectively treated and the frequency of recurrences reduced. Atrial fibrillation and heart failure represent diseases in which antiarrhythmic drugs are more often used on a long-term basis. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the most common antiarrhythmic drugs and their uses as well as to provide recommendations for adequate handling and use, especially in the outpatient setting. In addition to long-term use, some antiarrhythmic drugs are also administered for the acute management of supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia. Relevant contraindications, side effects and interactions must be considered, meaning that patients should be followed up when using these potent drugs. This article shows in detail what to consider when using antiarrhythmic drugs in order to ensure not only effective but also safe treatment.

Amiodarone-Induced Lung Toxicity: A Case Initially Not Correctly Framed

Amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity (AIPT) is one of the most serious adverse effects of amiodarone and is one of the leading causes of death associated with its use. The onset of AIPT depends on dosage, patient's age, and pre-existing pulmonary pathologies; typically, the adverse effects stop progressing when a cumulative dose higher than 150 mg is reached. The risk of developing amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis is directly related to the dosage and duration of administration. In this case report, the effect of a prolonged overdose of amiodarone taken at doses of 200 mg/day for two years is reported, with symptoms and instrumental evidence of respiratory pathology induced by amiodarone drug toxicity. Comorbidities, oxygen therapy, invasive procedures, and surgical interventions can trigger pulmonary symptoms. Despite significant advances in understanding AIPT, its etiology and pathogenesis remain poorly understood. The role of steroids in the treatment of AIPT is still under debate as most reports of improvement after amiodarone withdrawal differ little from those in which concomitant steroid therapy was used. In clinical practice, therapeutic doses of corticosteroids may be indicated for patients with AIPT; usually, a starting dose of prednisone from 40 to 60 mg daily, which is then gradually reduced, is prescribed. The pharmacodynamics of amiodarone determines a treatment period of four to 12 months. The patient with AIPT in this case report, who markedly improved after treatment with prednisone at a starting dose of 50 mg/day, which was then gradually tapered. At the end of the therapy, the computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the disappearance of most of the scattered ground-glass opacities and of the thickening indicating bi-apical pulmonary fibrosis. The case report is unique because: 1) Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)/transbronchial biopsy was not used for diagnosis. 2) The case was framed based on the patient's laboratory and clinical data. 3) The pathology is normally prevalent in men rather than women.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Related to Amiodarone-Is It a Standard Pathophysiological Pattern? A Case-Based Literature Review

Amiodarone hydrochloride is an antiarrhythmic drug, with proven efficacy in prevention and treatment of numerous arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation especially, or ventricular arrhythmias, with a long half-life (55-60 days). The increased risk of developing amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis is directly related to the dose and the duration of the intake. Amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity is conditioned by dose, patient's age, and pre-existent pulmonary pathologies. The pattern for drug-induced lung injury may vary in many forms, but the amiodarone can cause polymorphous injuries such as diffuse alveolar damage, chronical interstitial pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhage, lung nodules or pleural disease. The pathological mechanism of pulmonary injury induced by amiodarone consists of the accumulation of phospholipid complexes in histocytes and type II pneumocytes. Differential diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis induced by amiodarone is made mainly with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, left ventricular failure or infectious disease. Before starting treatment with amiodarone, patients should be informed of potential adverse effects and any new respiratory symptoms should promptly be reported to their family physician or attending physician. The assessment carried out at the initiation of amiodarone treatment should include at least chest X-ray and respiratory function tests and extrapulmonary evaluation.

Amiodarone: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians

Amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic medication frequently used in practice for both ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. Though classified as a class III antiarrhythmic, it affects all phases of the cardiac action potential. However, the drug has several side effects, including thyroid abnormalities, pulmonary fibrosis, and transaminitis, for which routine monitoring is recommended. It also interacts with several medications, such as warfarin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin, and many HIV antiretroviral medications. Given the common use of this medication in medical practice, it is vital that clinicians understand the indications, contraindications, dosing, side effects, and interactions of this medication. A thorough understanding of these topics is essential for clinicians to ensure safe and effective use of amiodarone.

[Second look: practical diagnostic and therapeutic checks in neurorehabilitation]

Post-acute inpatient neurorehabilitation facilities are increasingly treating patients who are not only severely ill and multimorbid but who are also referred from non-neurological departments. These patients are still often medically unstable so that the previous diagnostics and treatment must be reevaluated and when necessary adapted or supplemented. Certain interdisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic problems, such as antithrombotic therapy, regularly reoccur. This article presents these problems in a checklist fashion, which should provide indications in individual cases when previously carried out measures need to be questioned and adapted.