www.coretext.org

     

Article
Title	Opioid treatment and ´Long-QT Syndrome (LQTS)´: A critical review of the literature
Author	AU Pacini Matteo, Maremmani Angelo G I, Dell Osso Liliana, Maremmani Icro
Article Information		Abstract
Publication	Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems	The present paper aims to provide a critical survey of the current literature on QT-related cardiac safety in cases of methadone treatment. On the whole, case reports, whether single or multiple, do not seem to offer a reliable basis for drawing conclusions about the weight of any putative risk factor in QT prolongation. Systematic studies, on the other hand, do allow certain statements to be made about the extent and the the importance of QT prolongation during methadone maintenance treatment for heroin addiction. There do not seem to be any major concerns about cardiac safety arising from methadone itself in the average addict. Higher risk conditions due to multiple and polydrug treatments deserve more intensive surveillance. From a risk/benefit perspective, there is no clear rationale for applying a dose ceiling.
Reference	BUPP10095
Year	2009
Logged	22/02/2010
Volume	11
Part	4
Pages	21-28
ISSN	1592-1638
Keywords
Comparison Drug
Language	English