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Amiodarone induced pulmonary fibrosis in infancy
P N Bowers1, J Fields, D Schwartz
1Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology : PACE
|September 2, 1998
Summary
This study reports the first case of amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis in an infant. Discontinuation of amiodarone led to the resolution of pulmonary fibrosis in this pediatric patient.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia secondary to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a significant arrhythmia in infants.
- Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic medication used to manage complex cardiac arrhythmias.
- Pulmonary fibrosis is a known, albeit rare, adverse effect of amiodarone in adults.
Observation:
- A 9-month-old infant, treated with amiodarone for intractable atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia, presented with asymptomatic diffuse interstitial infiltrates on chest radiography.
- The infant was otherwise thriving, with no respiratory symptoms despite radiographic evidence of lung disease.
Findings:
- The case represents the first documented instance of amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the pediatric population.
- Following discontinuation of amiodarone, the infant's pulmonary fibrosis showed gradual resolution over a six-month period.
Implications:
- Increased use of amiodarone in pediatric patients for managing arrhythmias may lead to a rise in diagnosed cases of amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
- Pediatricians and cardiologists should maintain a high index of suspicion for pulmonary complications in infants receiving amiodarone.
- Further research is warranted to understand the long-term implications and risk factors for amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis in children.