Vnitr Lek 1995, 41(12):832-835

[Ventricular fibrillation after administration of adenosine].

J Pella, B Stancák, E Komanová, R Novotný: III. interná klinika FN L. Pasteura, Kosice.

Klíčová slova: Adenosine, adverse effects, ; Aged; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Tachycardia, Supraventricular, drug therapy, ; Ventricular Fibrillation, chemically induced,

In the submitted case-history the authors describe a hitherto unknown proarrhythmic effect of adenosine. Adenosine was administered on account of supraventricular tachycardia and the undesirable proarrhythmic effect was so-called "sine wave-like tachycardia" and ventricular fibrillation. Proarrhythmia was resistant to electric cardioversion and resuscitation was successful probably only after the breakdown of adenosine. The very short half-life of breakdown of this antiarrhythmic is thus useful not only for antiarrhythmic strategy but, because of the possible occurrence of rare proarrhythmias, adenosine holds a preferential position among other antiarrhythmic drugs.