Deleterious effects of intravenous verapamil in Wolff-Parkinson-White patients and atrial fibrillation

Boris Strasberg*, Alex Sagie, Eldad Rechavia, Amos Katz, Ilya A. Ovsyscher, Samuel Sclarovsky, Jacob Agmon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Three patients presented to the emergency room with atrial fibrillation and fast ventricular response with wide preexcited QRS complexes (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome). All three patients received intravenous verapamil (5-10mg). The first patient developed ventricular fibrillation requiring several defibrillations; the second patient developed severe hemodynamic deterioration requiring urgent cardioversion; in the third patient a marked increment in the ventricular response was noted, however, there was no hemodynamic impairment. Verapamil may cause detrimental results when given to patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and atrial fibrillation. Its administration should therefore be considered as an absolute contraindication in these patients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)801-806
Number of pages6
JournalCardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
Volume2
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1989

Keywords

  • Wolff-Parkinson-White
  • arrhythmias
  • verapamil

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