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Related Experiment Videos

Intravenous cocaine and QT variability.

Mark C P Haigney1, Shama Alam, Scot Tebo

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. mhaigney@usuhs.mil

Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology
|July 14, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Intravenous cocaine significantly increases QT variability, a measure of cardiac repolarization instability. This effect is dose-dependent and may explain the increased risk of sudden cardiac death in cocaine users.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Dynamic instability in cardiac repolarization is linked to drug-induced arrhythmias.
  • Cocaine's impact on repolarization stability requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if intravenous cocaine administration destabilizes cardiac repolarization.
  • To quantify changes in QT variability following cocaine infusion.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-nine volunteers received placebo or escalating doses of intravenous cocaine (20 and 40 mg).
  • Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded, and QT variability index (QTVI) was calculated.
  • The reproducibility of QTVI changes was assessed in a subset of subjects one week later.

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Main Results:

  • Cocaine administration caused a significant, dose-dependent increase in QTVI.
  • The peak increase in QTVI occurred 10 minutes post-infusion and resolved by 45 minutes.
  • The observed increase in QTVI was reproducible upon repeat cocaine administration.

Conclusions:

  • Cocaine injection significantly increases QT variability (QTVI) in a dose-dependent manner.
  • This destabilization of cardiac repolarization may heighten the risk of reentrant arrhythmias.
  • The findings suggest a potential mechanism linking cocaine use to sudden cardiac death.