SIDE-EFFECTS WITH AMIODARONE THERAPY

Amiodarone hydrochloride is increasingly being used in the treatment o f ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. Although a highly effe ctive anti-arrhythmic agent, its use is restricted by the high inciden ce of side effects. To elucidate the value of monitoring serum level o f both the parent drug and its active metabolite in predicting the occ urrence of side effects, the investigators examined 109 patients from a register of patients treated with amiodarone for the prevalence of k nown side effects of the drug. The register contained over 90% of pati ents treated with amiodarone at the Leicester General Hospital during the period of the study. The findings suggest cutaneous side effects a nd abnormal thyroid function tests (without overt gland dysfunction) a re more likely to occur with increasing duration of treatment and cumu lative dosage. However, neither the serum amiodarone level nor the ser um metabolite level had any predictive power for the occurrence of sid e effects.