[Bepridil and torsades de pointes: are the precautions of use respected?]

The torsades de pointes with bepridil are serious side-effects, known right from 1982, and for which definite therapeutic recommendations were decreed in 1984 then in 1991. The observations of 7 new cases drove us to discuss about the respect for these recommendations. From the study of these 7 middle-aged patients (+/- esm) 76.9 +/- 2.4, we have noticed that they all combined 3 risk-factors at least with an average (+/- esm) 3.71 +/- 0.29 (range 3-5). The non-respect for the methods of prescription of bepridil leads to serious trouble in the rate of heartbeat and can threaten vital prognosis. So, it is advisable for the practicians to be warmly and precisely informed and prescribe another anti-angina-pectoris treatment in high risk-patients.