Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2025

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Atrial Fibrillation Secondary to Levothyroxine Overdose with Underlying Secondary Infection
H Nanjappa1, Allen Joe Rodrigues2
1Senior Consultant Physician, Omkar Hospital, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India.
Abstract:
This case report presents the clinical course and management of a 62-year-old female patient with atrial fibrillation (AF) secondary to levothyroxine overdose along with an underlying secondary infection. The patient was admitted with sudden onset dyspnea, altered sensorium, and neurological deficits. Upon examination, she exhibited tachycardia, irregular heart sounds, and extensive crepitations in the respiratory system. Her electrocardiogram (ECG) showed an absent P wave with a varying RR interval. Laboratory investigations revealed abnormal thyroid function tests (TFTs) and raised polymorphonuclear cells, in addition to hyperglycemia. The patient was managed in the intensive care unit (ICU) with bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and supplemental oxygen, treated for AF with intravenous (IV) amiodarone, and her blood sugar was controlled with insulin infusion. Discontinuation of levothyroxine therapy was advised. Subsequently, her AF was terminated, and sinus rhythm was restored. Her neurological examination showed right-sided hemiplegia with aphasia. After 1 week of treatment, her TFTs normalized, and she was discharged on appropriate medication.
Related Concept Videos
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class III Agents as Potassium Channel Blockers
Disturbances in Heart Rhythm
Arrhythmias are categorized by their speed, rhythm, and origin. A slow...
Heart Failure Drugs: Inotropic Agents
Synthesis and Regulation of Thyroid Hormones
Upon reaching the thyroid gland, TSH stimulates the follicular cells' active uptake of iodide ions from the blood. The ions diffuse to the apical surface of the cells and are oxidized to iodine. The...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers
Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

