MYOCARDIAL RESPONSES TO CHELATION

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Abstract
Hypocalcemia was induced in 58 subjects by the intravenous injection of from 0.5 to 4 g of the chelating agent, disodium EDTA. Chelation abolished ectopic ventricular beats, terminated ventricular tachycardia, and produced improvement of A-V nodal conduction in heart block. There were exceptions to these characteristic actions and this variability of responses prohibits the use of disodium EDTA in the diagnosis of digitalis toxicity. However, chelation offers promise in the short-term management of ventricular arrhythmias due to digitalis overdosage. Such therapy appears to be particularly indicated if these arrhythmias occur in the presence of impairment of A-V nodal conduction.