Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35930218›Full record

ArticleCardiovascular toxicology2022

QTc Prolongation in Poison Center Exposures to CredibleMeds List of Substances with "Known Risk of Torsades de Pointes".

Kaitlin Ryan, Paul Benz, Amy Zosel, Andrew Farkas, Jillian Theobald

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cardiovascular toxicology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Clinical Factors Associated With Ventricular Dysrhythmia in Emergency Department Patients With Severe QTc Prolongation After Drug Overdose.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2025
    Article
  3. Abnormal CaFrontiers in pharmacology · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Kaitlin RyanPharmacy Department, Children's Wisconsin, 8915 West Connell Court, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA. kryan@chw.org.ORCID 0000-0003-1587-9815
Paul BenzDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9491-5708
Amy ZoselDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6775-2491
Andrew FarkasDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1676-8132
Jillian TheobaldDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9906-4148
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin · USMedical College of Wisconsin · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many drugs carry some risk of QT interval prolongation, which can lead to life-threatening dysrhythmias including Torsades de Pointes (TdP). CredibleMeds.org identifies medications categorized as "Known Risk of TdP" but does not stratify risk in acute supratherapeutic ingestions. We sought to determine the proportion of cases exhibiting QTc prolongation and life-threatening dysrhythmias including ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF), TdP, and asystole in patients exposed to these substances. Retrospective chart review of cases reported to our Regional Poison Center from 2014 to 2019 of exposures to one or more of the "Known Risk" substances was performed. Demographics, therapies, clinical effects, and medical outcome for each case were analyzed. There were 1125 exposures, of which 760 had a documented QTc interval. QTc ≥ 500 ms was reported in 138 (18.2%) of the 760 cases. The most common "Known Risk" substances were citalopram, escitalopram and cocaine. Although not in the "Known Risk" category, mirtazapine, amitriptyline, diphenhydramine, and trazodone had a statistically significant association with QTc > 500 ms. Life-threatening dysrhythmias occurred in 13 cases, with VT/VF in 6 of the 760 (0.8%) cases, and one case of TdP. Flecainide (OR 11.1, 95% CI 2.2-55.8) and methadone (OR 7.1, 95% CI 2.1-23.4) were associated with increased risk of all life-threatening dysrhythmias. Exposures to medications on the Credible Meds list of "Known Risk of TdP" QTc prolongation is common, but life-threatening dysrhythmias are rare. Mirtazapine, amitriptyline, diphenhydramine, and trazodone were associated with prolonged QTc. Flecainide and methadone had the highest associated risk of life-threatening dysrhythmias.

Indexed as

Long QT SyndromeTachycardia, VentricularTorsades de PointesTrazodoneAmitriptylineArrhythmias, CardiacDiphenhydramineElectrocardiographyFlecainideHumansMethadoneMirtazapinePoison Control CentersRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsVentricular FibrillationAmitriptylineDiphenhydramineFlecainideMethadoneMirtazapineTrazodoneArrhythmiaOverdosePoisoningQTc prolongationTorsades de Pointes

Identifiers

PMID35930218
OpenAlexW4289861151

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.