TORSADOGENIC INDEX: A proposal to improve survival rates in cardiac arrests due to prescribed drugs

• Main Author: Adrián Angel Angel Inchauspe (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A., 2012-06-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1663-9812; 10.3389/fphar.2012.00099
• Keywords: non- cardiac drugs; sudden death; torsadogenic risk; predictive evaluation; follow-up; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Frontiers in Pharmacology, Vol 3 (2012)

Since unexpected sudden deaths have been reported with the use of diversal non-cardiac drugs, cardio-safety experts focused their attention on security measures to improve survival rates in heart stoppages due to this prescribed drugs. Considering that prolongation of the QTc is a reliable marker of a menacing arrhythmia called torsade de pointes (TdP) - that can progress to ventricular fibrillation, application of Bazett or Rautaharhu formulas can lead to a proper predictive valuation of a "torsadogenic risk".Case-analysis raises up the proposal that QTc or QTp will allow to identify high risk groups; performs a close pharmaco- vigilance and legally register ECG follow -up, avoiding unnecessary withdrawal of useful drugs from market.