The effects of amiodarone prophylaxis on cardiac dysrhythmia in acute aluminium phosphide poisoning

Cardiovascular toxicity is the most common cause of fatality in the first 24 hours of poisoning with aluminium phosphide (AlP). Most often manifesting itself in cardiac dysrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of amiodarone prophylaxis against cardiac dysrhythmia in 46 patients with acute AlP poisoning. They were divided in two groups of 23: one receiving amiodarone and the other not (control). The treatment group received amiodarone prophylaxis in the initial intravenous bolus dose of 150 mg, followed by a drip of 1 mg/min for six hours and then of 0.5 mg/min for eighteen hours. Both groups were Holter-monitored for 24 hours since admission. Save for amiodarone, both groups received the same standard treatment. Amiodarone had a significant beneficial effect in reducing the frequency of STsegment elevation and ventricular fibrillation plus atrial fibrillation (P=0.02 and P=0.01, respectively), but the groups did not differ significantly in mortality (9 vs 11 patients, respectively). The mean time between ICU admission and death (survival time) was significantly longer in the treatment group (22 vs 10 h, respectively; P=0.03). Regardless its obvious limitations, our study suggests that even though amiodarone alone did not reduce mortality, it may provide enough time for antioxidant therapy to tip the balance in favour of survival and we therefore advocate its prophylactic use within the first 24 h of AlP poisoning.
Najčešći uzrok smrti u prva 24 sata od otrovanja aluminijevim fosfidom (AlP) jesu njegovi toksični učinci na srce I krvožilje. Oni se obično manifestiraju srčanim disritmijama. Cilj je ovoga ispitivanja bio procijeniti blagotvorne učinke amiodarona u profilaksi srčane disritmije u 46 bolesnika primljenih na intenzivnu njegu s otrovanjem AlP-om. Bolesnici su podijeljeni u dvije skupine od 23 ispitanika. Jedna je primala amiodaron, a druga (kontrolna) nije. Ostalo liječenje bilo je standardno i identično u objema skupinama. Amiodaronska se je profilaksa sastojala od udarne intravenske bolusne doze od 150 mg, nakon čega je uslijedila infuzija u dozi od 1 mg/min prvih šest sati, a zatim od 0,5 mg/min sljedećih osamnaest sati. Obje su skupine od prijama na intenzivnu njegu bile nadzirane 24-satnim holterom. Amiodaron je iskazao značajnu djelotvornost u smanjenju učestalosti povišenoga ST-segmenta odnosno ventrikulske i atrijske fibrilacije (P=0,02 odnosno P=0,01), ali nije značajno smanjio smrtnost (9 bolesnika u skupini na amiodaronu odnosno 11 u kontrolnoj skupini). Srednje vrijeme od prijama na intenzivnu njegu do smrti (vrijeme preživljenja), međutim, značajno se produžilo u skupini na amiodaronu (22 h prema 10 h u kontrolnoj skupini; P=0,03). Unatoč jasnim ograničenjima, napose zbog premaloga uzorka, ovo ispitivanje upućuje na to da amiodaron može dovoljno produžiti vrijeme preživljenja i time dati dovoljno vremena antioksidacijskom liječenju da spasi život te iz tog razloga preporučujemo njegovu profilaktičku primjenu u prva 24 sata od otrovanja AlP-om.