Long-term use of Amiodarone in cardiac patients
Keywords:
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs), Chest x-ray (CXR), Electrocardiogram (ECG), Liver function tests (LFTs), Thyroid function tests (TFTs)Abstract
Amiodarone is widely prescribed, largely due to its efficacy in the management of both supra ventricular and ventricular arrhythmia's. Despite these advantages, the use of amiodarone is associated with a relatively high incidence of side effects, making it a complicated drug to use safely. Retrospective audit of all patients commenced on amiodarone between Jan 2020 to Dec 2022 who were treated for at least two years. In this study, twenty-seven patients fulfilled entry criteria. 0% patients have taken PFTs, 19% patients taken Chest X ray, 44% patients taken ECG, 11% patients taken LFT and 7% patients taken TFT. Our study observes that the dosage and duration of Amiodarone are the most important factors influencing the risk for developing side effects. At our hospital, baseline PFTs and follow up tests - TFTs, LFTs and CXR are not performed as per recommended guidelines. This may be an issue also for other institutions.
