Torsades de Pointes Complicating Pentamidine Therapy of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 36; no. 10; pp. 705 - 708
• Main Authors: OTSUKA, Mami, KANAMORI, Heiwa, SASAKI, Shin, TAGUCHI, Jun, HARANO, Hiroshi, OGAWA, Kouji, MATSUZAKI, Michio, MOHRI, Hiroshi, OKUBO, Takao, SUMITA, Shinichi, OCHIAI, Hisao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 1997; Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
• Subjects: Adult; Antifungal Agents - adverse effects; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; bradycardia; cardiac pacing; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Electrocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - complications; Magnesium Sulfate - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Pentamidine - adverse effects; Pentamidine - therapeutic use; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pneumocystis - isolation & purification; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis - complications; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis - drug therapy; prolonged QT interval; Torsades de Pointes - chemically induced; Torsades de Pointes - physiopathology; Torsades de Pointes - therapy; Toxicity: cardiovascular system; Arrhythmia; Toxicity; Cardiovascular disease; Pneumocystis carinii; Fungi; Heart disease; Parasiticid; Female; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta; Human; Lung disease; Wave burst; Respiratory disease; Acute; Malignant hemopathy; Parasitosis; Excitability disorder; Infection; Case study; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Pentamidine isetionate; Pneumopathy; Acute myelocytic leukemia
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.36.705

Pentamidine isethionate induced torsades de pointes in a 33-year-old woman with acute myelogenous leukemia. This is the first report of Pentamidine-induced torsades de pointes in Japan for over ten years. On the 4th day of intravenous pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, asymptomatic sinus bradycardia was noted with QT interval prolongation, and torsades de pointes were revealed on the 8th day. Although torsades de pointes was dissolved with discontinuation of the intravenous pentamidine and administration of magnesium sulfate, sinus bradycardia and prolonged QT interval persisted. Ventricular pacing resulted in no arrhythmia and normalization of the QT interval on the 10th day after discontinuation of pentamidine. Careful monitoring of the electrocardiogram should be carried out during intravenous pentamidine therapy. (Internal Medicine 36: 705-708, 1997)