The Changing Clinical Picture of Digitalis Intoxication

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Abstract
Twenty-four recent cases of digitalis toxicity were characterized by 4 salient points: All hospitalized cases of digitalis excess were recorded during a 12-month period. Since the average age was in the seventh decade, it must be assumed that the aging patient is the most likely candidate for such toxicity. It is a particularly tragic parodox that those who must require the unique action of digitalis are the most intolerant to slight variations in dosage.1 Indeed, in repeated cases, as the ratio between therapeutic and toxic dosage narrowed, it was impossible for the aged heart to tolerate any therapeutic amount of digitalis.