Acquired Long Qt Syndrome

In recent years there has been considerable interest in the diagnosis and understanding of ventricular repolarisation, particularly the QT interval prolongation and abnormal T and T/U wave morphology associated with torsades de pointes. Advances in ion channel cloning have greatly improved our understanding of the role of ionic channels in mediating cardiac repolarisation. Unfortunately, it is increasingly recognised that a number of drugs, both those associated with altering repolarisation, and others for non-cardiac conditions can increase the propensity for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, syncope and even ventricular fibrillation and sudden death.

In this volume, arrhythmia specialists from St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London discuss the mechanisms behind QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. They focus particularly on the risk of individual cardiac and non-cardiac drugs in provoking long QT syndrome, providing a comprehensive review which will be useful for all electrophysiologists treating polymorphic ventricular tachycardias, and will expose important regulatory issues for pharmaceutical authorities and for the wider medical community.

A. John Camm, MD, FRCP, FESC, FACC
Professor of Clinical Cardiology and Head, Department of Cardiological Sciences, St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London

Marek Malik, PhD, MD, DSc, FACC, FECS
Professor of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiological Sciences, St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London

Yee Guan Yap, BMedSci, MBBS, MRCP
British Heart Foundation Research Fellow in Cardiology, Department of Cardiological Sciences, St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London

Chapter 1. Introduction.

Chapter 2. Mechanisms of Acquired QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes.

Chapter 3. Measurement of QT Interval and Repolarization Assessment.

Chapter 4: Introduction to Drug-Induced Long QT Syndrome.

Chapter 5: Risk of QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes with Antiarrhythmic Drugs.

Chapter 6: Risk of QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes with Antihistamines.

Chapter 7: Risk of QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes with Psychotrophic Drugs.

Chapter 8: Risk of QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes with Antimicrobial and Antimalarial Drugs.

Chapter 9: Risk of QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes with Prokinetics and Miscellaneous.

Chapter 10: Acquired Long QT Syndrome Secondary to Cardiac Conditions.

Chapter 11: Acquired Long QT Syndrome Secondary to Noncardiac Conditions.

Chapter 12: Preclinical and Clinical Assessment of the Risk of QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointes with New Active Substances.

Chapter 13: Conclusion and Perspective of Drug-Induced Repolarization Changes