First report of supraventricular tachycardia after intravenous pulse methylprednisolone therapy, with a brief review of the literature

Abstract

The occurrence of supraventricular tachycardia after high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy (HIVMPT) in a patient with active rheumatoid arthritis is described for the first time. This case report further expands the range of arrhythmias that can occur with HIVMPT. Other arrhythmias previously reported to occur after HIVMPT include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, junctional rhythm, and ventricular tachycardia. To the best of our knowledge, supraventricular tachycardia has not been reported previously, although severe bradycardia, hypotension, asystole, cardiovascular collapse, and sudden death have been documented. A review of the literature indicates that these case reports not withstanding, HIVMPT is generally safe, and cardiovascular toxicity is rare. However, close supervision with repeated measurements of blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and blood electrolytes is mandatory during and immediately after HIVMPT, especially for patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, and the lowest effective dose of methylprednisolone should be infused at a slow rate.