What can amiodarone do to the lungs?
What can amiodarone do to the lungs?
Several forms of pulmonary disease occur among patients treated with amiodarone, including interstitial pneumonitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), pulmonary nodules and solitary masses, and also (rarely) pleural effusion.
Why does amiodarone cause pulmonary toxicity?
Amiodarone may induce the production of toxic O2 radicals, which can directly damage cells (9). It also appears to promote the accumulation of phospholipids in tissues (9). Typically, the lungs of patients with APT show a diffuse interstitial pneumonitis on microscopic inspection (Figure 1).
How long can a person take amiodarone?
Never stop taking it without consulting your doctor. This medication must be taken regularly for one to three weeks before a response is seen and for several months before the full effect occurs. Due to the drug’s long half-life, it will remain in your body for up to two months.
How is amiodarone overdose treated?
Amiodarone lung toxicity is a diagnosis of exclusion, and treatment includes simply withdrawing amiodarone, though steroids can be used in severe cases. A majority of patients improve significantly once amiodarone is stopped.
Can you take amiodarone for years?
Our results showed that long-term amiodarone therapy, as part of a strategy to control rhythm, is more effective than a placebo or rate control drug in achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm.
What is the risk of pulmonary toxicity from amiodarone?
The incidence of pulmonary toxicity from amiodarone is not precisely known; it is estimated to be 1 to 5 percent, depending on the dose of amiodarone [3-6]. The rate increases at higher doses of amiodarone, particularly long-term use of doses over 500 mg daily.
Are there any side effects to taking amiodarone?
The popularity of amiodarone may be explained by its efficacy and usefulness in reducing or preventing common arrhythmias. However, amiodarone has been found to be associated with a variety of adverse effects. The most serious of these is amiodarone pulmonary toxicity (APT).
When does interstitial pneumonitis occur after amiodarone therapy?
Interstitial pneumonitis usually presents after two or more months of therapy, especially in patients in whom the dose of amiodarone exceeds 400 mg per day [ 2 ]. The incidence of pulmonary toxicity from amiodarone is not precisely known; it is estimated to be 1 to 5 percent, depending on the dose of amiodarone [ 3-6 ].
How is amiodarone used in the treatment of tachyarrhhmia?
Amiodarone is an iodinated benzofuran derivative that is used to suppress ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. (See “Amiodarone: Clinical uses” .)