Amiodarone-induced QT prolongation in a newly transplanted heart associated with recurrent ventricular fibrillation : case report

Anti-arrhythmic drugs such as amiodarone have the potential to prolong QT intervals, which can result in torsades de point arrhythmia. It is unknown whether amiodarone, given to a recipient prior to cardiac transplantation, can cause arrhythmia in a newly transplanted donor heart. We report on a case of a 71-year-old male patient who had received intravenous and oral amiodarone prior to transplantation, which was associated with QT prolongation in the transplanted heart after re-exposure to the drug during subsequent episodes of ventricular fibrillation. An ICD was implanted, which has not been described that soon after cardiac transplantation. Amiodarone, given to a recipient, might cause QT prolongation in a donor heart after transplantation, possibly due to its long half-life and increased bioavailability caused by interaction with immunosuppressive drugs.