Digitalis Toxicity
- 1 October 1965
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of internal medicine (1960)
- Vol. 116 (4) , 573-580
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1965.03870040087018
Abstract
Digitalis toxicity must be considered a serious cardiac emergency when it causes ectopic arrhythmias, conduction defects, and suppression of sinus pacemaking function. It has been estimated that 6% to 20% of patients receiving the glycosides develop digitalis toxicity1,2 because of the narrow range that exists between the therapeutic and toxic dose. The therapeutic dose is approximately 60% of the toxic dose.3 There are a number of factors which precipitate digitalis toxicity: (1) overdose, (2) individual idiosyncracy, (3) electrolyte imbalance following potassium loss due to diarrhea or gastric intubation, etc, and (4) calcium administration to the digitalized patient causing a sudden potassium exodus from cardiac muscle.4,5 At present, a common precipitating cause of digitalis toxicity is hypokalemia resulting from the use of saluretic drugs in conjunction with digitalis.3,6-9 There is no specific arrhythmia due to digitalis toxicity. When the glycosides are used in excess, or if there is an associated lossThis publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: