Long QT Induced by Psychiatric Medication: Associated Risk Factors

Several psychiatric medications, including typical and atypical antipsychotics, have been associated with increased occurrence of sudden cardiac death. On electrocardiogram (ECG), prolongation of the QT interval corrected for heart rate to over 500 ms may portend torsades de pointes, a potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmia. These investigators examined the prevalence of drug-induced long QT and associated risks in all psychiatric inpatients undergoing admission ECGs during a 5-year study in Geneva, Switzerland, where the procedure is generally standard.

Among 6790 admission ECGs, 1852 (27%) were abnormal, 107 of which showed prolonged QT intervals. Researchers determined that 62 met criteria for drug-induced causality (no prolonged QT on …