Cardiovascular agents amiodarone

Amiodarone is a Type III antiarrhythmic agent. It has been shown in several clinical trials to be safe and effective in the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with cardiovascular disease. Amiodarone is also associated with fewer proarrhythmic effects compared with other antiarrhythmic drugs. Amiodarone is empirically dosed and adjusted based on efficacy and toxicity. 

Pharmacodynamic interactions. Many TCAs cause sedation and therefore co-prescription with other sedative agents such as opioid analgesics, antihistamines, anxiolytics, hypnotics and alcohol may lead to excessive drowsiness and daytime somnolence. The majority of TCAs can have undesirable cardiovascular effects, in particular prolongation of the QT interval. A similar risk of QT prolongation arises with many other cardiovascular drugs including amiodarone, disopyramide, procainamide, propa-... 

Cardiovascular Torsade de pontes has been attributed to cisapride 10 mg tds in a 36-year-old woman, in association with low serum potassium and magnesium concentrations [S ]. She had recurrent episodes, which required 50-70 defibrillation shocks per day, while several antidysrhyth-mic agents, including bretylium, phenytoin, isoprenaline, amiodarone, lidocaine, and magnesium sulfate, were ineffective. When cisapride was withdrawn the episodes of torsade de pointes resolved within a day. 

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