Citation

Krähenbühl S, Sauter B, Kupferschmidt H, Krause M, Wyss PA, Meier PJ. Am. J. Med. Sci. 1995; 309(6): 315-316.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/00000441-199506000-00003

PMID

7771501

Abstract

Pimozide is a diphenylpiperidine neuroleptic with well characterized cardiovascular side effects including QT prolongation. So far, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, in particular torsades de pointes, have not been described in patients treated with pimozide. The authors describe a patient in whom torsades de pointes developed after the ingestion of 800 mg pimozide as a suicide attempt. After intravenous treatment with lidocaine and magnesium, the patient recovered completely and the QT interval had normalized 5 days after the intoxication. Potential mechanisms leading to torsades de pointes in patients treated with pimozide are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Lidocaine; Magnesium; Middle Aged; Pimozide; Schizophrenia; Suicide, Attempted; Torsades de Pointes