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Relationship of Serum and Myocardial Digoxin Concentration to Electrocardiographic Estimation of Digoxin Intoxication
Author(s) -
BIDDLE THEODORE L.,
WEINTRAUB MICHAEL,
LASAGNA LOUIS
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1978.tb01554.x
Subject(s) - digoxin , medicine , serum concentration , autopsy , toxicity , cardiology , pharmacology , anesthesia , heart failure
Serum and myocardial digoxin levels were studied in 18 patients who came to autopsy. An independent analysis of electrocardiograms prior to death was made to ascertain the relationship between serum and tissue levels of digoxin and clinical estimation of drug toxicity. Patients with arrhythmias of digoxin toxicity had higher mean serum and tissue digoxin levels than patients without arrhythmia. There was overlap in the patient groups, however, and the differences were not statistically significant. The tissue to serum ratio was lower in the toxic patients. The latter phenomenon is unexplained but may be related to decreased tissue binding.