查看文章

Prolongation of the QT interval of the electrocardiogram is a typical effect of Class III antiarrhythmic drugs, achieved through blockade of potassium channels. In the past decade, evidence has accrued that several classes of drugs used for non‐cardiovascular indications may prolong the QT interval with the same mechanism (namely, human ether‐à‐go‐go‐related gene (hERG) K⁺ channel blockade). The great interest in QT prolongation is because of several reasons. First, drug‐induced QT prolongation increases the likelihood of a polymorphous ventricular arrhythmia (namely, torsades de pointes, TdP), which may cause syncope and degenerate into ventricular fibrillation and sudden death. Second, the fact that several classes of drugs, such as antihistamines, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and neuroleptics may cause the long QT syndrome (LQTS) raises the question whether this is a class effect (e.g., shared …