[A questionnaire for early recognition of digitalis intoxication (author's transl)]

Abstract

The diagnostically relevant data of 1164 patients under digitalis were stored in a computer and compared statistically for toxic and nontoxic patients. Resulting from this a questionnaire was developed in which each item was weighted according to its own diagnostic value. In a prospective study 77 suspected cases of digitalis intoxication were classified according to their scoring in the questionnaire. In 92% of the patients this classification was confirmed by the final diagnosis (after withdrawal of the glycoside). Mean score and mean serum digoxin concentration (SDC) of the toxic patients were significantly higher. There was a high consensus between the final diagnosis, the classification by the questionnaire and the SDC. The questionnaire proved to be a useful aid in the bedside diagnosis of digitalis intoxication.