Torsades-de-Pointes associated with Taku-Tsubo cardiomyopathy following greatly reduced oxycodone use in an elderly woman

Harry W. Daniell, MD

doi:10.5055/jom.2011.0058

Authors

Harry W. Daniell, MD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2011.0058

Keywords:

Taku-Tsubo cardiomyopathy, Torsades-de-Pointes, sustained-action oxycodone, internal potassium rectifier channel, human ether-a-go-go-related-gene

Abstract

This article reports an elderly female oxycodone consumer who developed Torsades-de-Pointes soon after her opioid-associated rate-corrected QT interval (QTC; a standard measurement on electrocardiograms) prolongation had been augmented by the development of Taku-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), a sequence that followed greatly reduced oxycodone ingestion. Factors that likely contributed to this sequence are discussed, including direct opioid-induced inhibition of human ether-a-go-go-related gene activity and of androgen formation plus QTc prolongation induced by the presence of TC.

Author Biography

Harry W. Daniell, MD

Department of Family Practice, University of California Medical School at Davis, Redding, California.

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