Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Sep-Oct;31(5):1269-71.
doi: 10.12669/pjms.315.8998.

Antipsychotic Medication and QT Prolongation

Paramdip Singh Chohan  1 , Raman Mittal  2 , Afzal Javed  3
Affiliations

Antipsychotic Medication and QT Prolongation

Paramdip Singh Chohan et al. Pak J Med Sci. 2015 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

The QT interval represents ventricular depolarisation and repolarisation. Prolongation of this interval can lead to life-threatening complications. These can include arrhythmias such as Torsades de Pointes and Ventricular Fibrillation, which may ultimately lead to death. Many risk factors have been identified in prolonging the QT interval, one of which is medication commonly used in the treatment of Psychiatric ailments. This article describes Antipsychotic drugs causing prolonged QT interval and the possible underlying mechanisms alongside the current best practice on the management of this potentially fatal complication.

Keywords: Antipsychotics; QT Prolongation; Sudden Cardiac Death.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig.1
Fig.1
The Ventricular Action Potential.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Beach S, Celano M, Noseworthy P, Januzzi J, Huffman J. QTc Prolongation, Torsades de Pointes, and Psychotropic Medications. Psychomsomatics. 2013;54:1–13. doi: 10.1016/j.psym.2012.11.001. - PubMed
    1. FDA. QT prolongation. [Accessed Apr 2015]. Accessible via URL: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/slides/3746s_01_Ruskin/sld023.htm .
    1. Nielsen J, Graff C, Kanters J, Toft E, Taylor D, Meyer J. Assessing QT Interval Prolongation and its Associated Risks with Antipsychotics. CNS Drugs. 2011;25(6):473–490. doi: 10.2165/11587800-000000000-00000. - PubMed
    1. Piepho R. Cardiovascular Effects of Antipsychotics Used in Bipolar Illness. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63:20–23. - PubMed
    1. Ayad R, Assar M, Simpson L, Garner J, Schussler J. Causes and management of drug-induced long QT. [Accessed Apr 2015]. Accessible via URL: syndrome http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900977/pdf/bumc0023-0250.pdf . - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources