Pentamidine arrhythmia with

IVABRADINE ANTIPROTOZOALS Risk of arrhythmias with pentamidine Additive effect Monitor ECG closely... 

PROPAFENONE I. ANTIARRHYTHMICS - disopyra-mide, procainamide 2. ANTIBIOTICS - macrolides (especially azithromycin, clarithromycin, parenteral erythromycin, telithromycin), quinolones (especially moxifloxacin), quinupristin/ dalfopristin 3. ANTICANCER AND IMMUNOMODULATING DRUGS -arsenic trioxide 4. ANTIDEPRESSANTS - TCAs, venlafaxine 5. ANTIEMETICS-dolasetron 6. ANTIFUNGALS-fluconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole 7. ANTIHISTAMINES - terfenadine, hydroxyzine, mizolastine 8. ANTI-M ALARIALS - artemether with lumefantrine, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, mefloquine, quinine 9. ANTIPROTOZOALS - pentamidine isetionate 10. ANTIPSYCHOTICS-atypicals, phenothiazines, pimozide II. BETA-BLOCKERS - sotalol 12. BRONCHODILATORS -parenteral bronchodilators 13. CNS STIMULANTS - atomoxetine Risk of ventricular arrhythmias, particularly torsades de pointes Additive effect these drugs prolong the Q-T interval. Also, amitriptyline, clomipramine and desipramine levels may be t by propafenone. Amitriptyline and clomipramine may t propafenone levels. Propafenone and these TCAs inhibit CYP2D6-mediated metabolism of each other Avoid co-administration... 

Another previous report [187] described severe hypocalcemia with tetany in patients with AIDS concomitantly receiving pentamidine and foscarnet. The hypocalcemia, however, was attributed to the administration of foscarnet. Despite magnesium replacement, magnesium wasting may persist up to two months after the discontinuation of pentamidine, suggesting that anatomic renal tubular injury may be responsible [183,185]. Both abnormalities developed within 6 to 10 days of pentamidine administration. Because life-threatening arrhythmias can develop, especially at serum magnesium levels less than 1.6 mg/dl, early replacement therapy is clinically warranted. 

Perturbations in mono- and divalent cation renal handling have been reported in association with pentamidine administration. Several reports of hyperkalemia in association with pentamidine therapy have been recently published [132,134,136,137,167,168]. Lachaal and Venuto [132] in a retrospective review reported a very high incidence of hyperkalemia (5.1 to 8.7 mEq/ L) in 19 of 20 patients (95%). This incidence was greater than the 5% reported earlier [123], or the 24% reported subsequently [134] in 37 patients with AIDS, and was challenged as a possible overestimation [169]. The hyperkalemia usually correlates with the presence of decreased GFR [132,134]. In our clinical study [133] the mean serum potassium concentration tended to be higher in the AIDS patients that developed pentamidine nephrotoxicity than in those that did not (5.0+0.3 vs 4.3+0.2, respectively, p <0.055). No patient, however, had a serum potassium concentration higher than 6.0 mEq/L. Hyperkalemia induced-arrhythmias occur [170], and rarely may include cardiac arrest [171]. The hyperkalemia usually reversed on discontinuation of pentamidine, and although most patients required only conservative measures, occasionally dialysis was necessary [132]. 

Factors that commonly precipitate cardiac arrhythmias include hypoxia, electrolyte disturbances (especially hypokalemia), myocardial ischemia, and certain drugs (Table 34-1). For example, theophylline can cause multifocal atrial tachycardia, while torsades de pointes can arise not only during therapy with action potential-prolonging antiarrhythmics but also with other drugs, including erythromycin (see Chapter 46) pentamidine (see Chapter 40) and some antipsy-chotics, notably thioridazine (see Chapter 18). 

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