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Cardiovascular complications due to pheniramine overdosage
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine
|February 1, 1976
Summary
Pheniramine overdosage can cause dangerous cardiovascular toxicity, including ventricular arrhythmias, even without other contributing factors. Patients require careful monitoring and treatment similar to tricyclic antidepressant overdoses.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Pheniramine is an antihistamine commonly found in over-the-counter medications.
- Previous reports have linked pheniramine to adverse effects, but significant cardiovascular toxicity was not widely recognized.
Observation:
- This report details cases of pheniramine overdosage presenting with previously unsuspected cardiovascular toxicity.
- Clinical features included clinically significant ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular extrasystoles.
- Analytical techniques confirmed the presence of pheniramine and excluded other contributing compounds.
Findings:
- Pheniramine overdosage can induce severe ventricular arrhythmias.
- Cardiovascular toxicity occurred in the absence of factors typically known to exacerbate such effects.
- Sudden, unexplained deaths have been associated with pheniramine overdosage in both pediatric and adult populations.
Implications:
- Patients presenting with pheniramine overdosage should be managed with precautions similar to those for tricyclic antidepressant overdosage.
- Increased awareness of pheniramine's potential for severe cardiac events is crucial for clinicians.
- Further research into the mechanisms of pheniramine-induced cardiotoxicity is warranted.
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