Flecainide Intoxication: An Unusual Case of Suicide
Shumin Fan1,2, Keith Norman Norton1
1Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO.
Abstract:
Flecainide is among the most prescribed antiarrhythmic medications and is used to effectively treat recurrent arrhythmia and maintain normal sinus rhythm by acting as a sodium channel blocker. However, its potent effects and narrow therapeutic window pose increasing risks of flecainide intoxication and ensuing morbidity and mortality. Here we report an unusual case of suicide by intentional flecainide overdose. This case demonstrates the importance of early recognition and treatment in avoiding the adverse consequences of flecainide intoxication, and it also demonstrates the importance of appropriate use and safe storage of flecainide.
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