ISSN 2167-0404
International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 209-210, October, 2012. © International Scholars Journals
Short Communication
Acute disabling epigastric pain during intravenous administration of amiodarone
Petrou E.1*, Boutsikou M.2, Karali V.2, Bousoula E.1, Vartela V.1 and Mavrogeni S.1
1First Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
2First Department of Propaedeutic and Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Received 06 August, 2012; Accepted 17 October, 2012
Abstract
Amiodarone is a Class III antiarrhythmic agent used for cardioversion and prevention of recurrences of atrial fibrillation. However, its use is limited due to its side-effects resulting from the drug’s long-term administration. The only acute and benign adverse reaction of intravenous amiodarone that has been reported is acute low back pain. We describe a patient who suffered an acute disabling epigastric pain, following treatment with intravenous amiodarone for atrial fibrillation. When treatment with amiodarone was abruptly interrupted, the epigastric pain was completely resolved. To our knowledge, there are no cases describing severe epigastric pain as an acute reaction to intravenous amiodarone administration. Intravenous, and rarely oral, administration of amiodarone has been related to a series of minor and major adverse reactions, indicating other constituents of the intravenous solution as the possible cause, possibly polysorbate 80. A possible correlation between acute epigastric pain and intravenous amiodarone loading is unproven; however it is of crucial importance for clinicians to be aware of this phenomenon, and especially since an acute epigastric pain is implicated in the differential diagnosis of cardiac ischemia.
Key words: Acute epigastric pain, intravenous amiodarone, antiarrhythmic.