QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection

OBJECTIVES: Several studies have reported prolonged QTc intervals in patients under methadone maintenance treatment, including development of torsade-de-pointes arrhythmia and death. It is still not clear why some patients develop critical QTc extensions while others do not. METHODS...

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Main Authors: Najibulah Gholami, Lukas Boesch, Luis Falcato, Rudolf Stohler, Philip Bruggmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW) 2013-08-01
Series:Swiss Medical Weekly
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1743
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author Najibulah Gholami
Lukas Boesch
Luis Falcato
Rudolf Stohler
Philip Bruggmann
author_facet Najibulah Gholami
Lukas Boesch
Luis Falcato
Rudolf Stohler
Philip Bruggmann
author_sort Najibulah Gholami
collection DOAJ
description OBJECTIVES: Several studies have reported prolonged QTc intervals in patients under methadone maintenance treatment, including development of torsade-de-pointes arrhythmia and death. It is still not clear why some patients develop critical QTc extensions while others do not. METHODS: ECG findings in a convenience sample of 210 methadone-maintained heroin-dependent patients, taking HCV-infection status and methadone dosage into account simultaneously by means of a multiple linear regression model with QTc-interval as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Prolonged QTc-time is associated with hepatitis C infections (p = 0.005) and higher doses of racemic methadone (p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Infection with hepatitis C increases the likelihood of critical QTc prolongation in patients in methadone maintenance treatment.
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spelling doaj.art-7fd64be8ab5b4b28bee916ff0f593e912022-12-22T03:04:17ZengSMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)Swiss Medical Weekly1424-39972013-08-01143353610.4414/smw.2013.13852QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infectionNajibulah GholamiLukas BoeschLuis FalcatoRudolf StohlerPhilip Bruggmann OBJECTIVES: Several studies have reported prolonged QTc intervals in patients under methadone maintenance treatment, including development of torsade-de-pointes arrhythmia and death. It is still not clear why some patients develop critical QTc extensions while others do not. METHODS: ECG findings in a convenience sample of 210 methadone-maintained heroin-dependent patients, taking HCV-infection status and methadone dosage into account simultaneously by means of a multiple linear regression model with QTc-interval as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Prolonged QTc-time is associated with hepatitis C infections (p = 0.005) and higher doses of racemic methadone (p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Infection with hepatitis C increases the likelihood of critical QTc prolongation in patients in methadone maintenance treatment. https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1743Hepatitis CMethadoneQT-prolongation
spellingShingle Najibulah Gholami
Lukas Boesch
Luis Falcato
Rudolf Stohler
Philip Bruggmann
QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection
Swiss Medical Weekly
Hepatitis C
Methadone
QT-prolongation
title QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection
title_full QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection
title_fullStr QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection
title_full_unstemmed QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection
title_short QTc prolongation in methadone maintenance – the role of HCV infection
title_sort qtc prolongation in methadone maintenance the role of hcv infection
topic Hepatitis C
Methadone
QT-prolongation
url https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1743
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AT luisfalcato qtcprolongationinmethadonemaintenancetheroleofhcvinfection
AT rudolfstohler qtcprolongationinmethadonemaintenancetheroleofhcvinfection
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