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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
10:17
High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
Methadone administration and QT interval prolongation: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Eduardo Nunez-Rodriguez1,2, Ryan Wong3, Guido Mazzinari4
1Department of Anesthesiology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
BMJ Open
|August 14, 2026
Summary
This systematic review will investigate methadone
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Methadone is a long-acting opioid used for opioid use disorder and pain management.
- Methadone use is linked to QTc interval prolongation and increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias.
- Mechanisms include HERG channel inhibition, drug interactions, and genetic factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between methadone and QTc prolongation.
- To estimate the odds of major cardiac events associated with methadone.
- To evaluate dose- and time-dependent effects of methadone on QT prolongation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of RCTs, cohort, and case-control studies.
- Primary outcome: QTc interval length; Secondary outcomes: significant QTc prolongation and major adverse cardiac events.
- Random-effects meta-analyses with subgroup analyses; Risk of bias and GRADE assessments.
Main Results:
- This section is for results, which will be available upon study completion.
Conclusions:
- This section is for conclusions, which will be available upon study completion.
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