PERSISTENT BRADYCARDIA;

Objectives: To determine the outcome in patients with bradycardia afterdiscontinuation of rate slowing drugs in terms of frequency of persistent bradycardia. StudyDesign: Descriptive study. Setting: Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, Cardiology Department.Period: 2013-2014. Materials and Methods: Pulse and ECG were used to identify the patientsand after obtaining informed consent, total 95 patients of bradycardia were included fromemergency. Patients with persistent bradycardia were noted after 5 days of discontinuationof culprit drug. Results: Among total 95 patients, 46(48.4%) were male and 49(51.6%) werefemale. Patients with rate limiting drugs include β blockers 79(75.8%), CCBs 19(20%) anddigoxin 4(4.2%). Patients presented to hospital have sinus bradycardia 3(3.2%), 2nd degreeAV block 19(20%) and 3rd degree AV block 73(76.8%). After 5 days of discontinuation ofculprit drug, bradycardia persisted in 32(69.6%) male, 37(75.5%) female patients with sinusbradycardia persisted in 1(33.3%), 2nd degree AV block in 7(36.8%) and 3rd degree AV blockin 61(83.6%). Conclusion: In majority of patient on rate slowing drug, bradycardia persistedafter discontinuation of these drugs. Bradycardia was not truly drug induced, but it was due tounderlying conducting system disease which was unmasked by rate slowing drugs.