Carbamazepine and the QTc interval: any association?
- Author:
Osama SM Amin
;
Saad S Shwanni
;
Saad F Noori
;
Ali M Hasan
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Neurology Asia
2010;15(2):119-123
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective: To determine whether carbamazepine monotherapy in epilepsy patients is or is not associated
with prolongation of the QTc interval. Methods: This case-control study enrolled 100 consecutive
patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Fifty patients were already taking carbamazepine for a
variable time, and the rest (n=50) were not on any antiepileptic drug. The QTc interval was calculated
after doing a resting 12-lead ECG examination on a single occasion. Results: Of the 50 patients who
had received carbamazepine, 11 patients displayed prolongation of their QTc interval, while 8 patients
out of the 50 in the control group had QTc interval prolongation after correction for gender; p value
=0.49, OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.54-3.29.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated no statistically signifi cant association between carbamazepine
monotherapy and prolongation of the QTc interval. Carbamazepine does not seem to prolong the QT
interval when used as monotherapy for epilepsy. The presence of prolonged QTc interval in such
patients should prompt a search for co-factors that prolong this interval, such as multiple medications,
electrolytes disturbances, structural heart disease, and congenital long QT interval syndromes.
- Full text:P020150902383012072395.pdf
