Intravenous adenosine triphosphate during wide QRS complex tachycardia: Safety, therapeutic efficacy, and diagnostic utility

Abstract

purpose: Inappropriate administration of intravenous verapamil to patients with wide QRS complex tachycardia due to ventricular tachycardia or atrial fibrillation with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome occurs frequently because of misdiagnosis, and may precipitate a cardiac arrest. We evaluated the safety and the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of adenosine triphosphate administered to a consecutive series of 34 patients during wide QRS complex tachycardia due to a variety of mechanisms. patients and methods: Patients who had a hemodynamically and electrically stable, monomorphic, wide (greater than 120 msec) QRS complex tachycardia induced during an invasive cardiac electrophysiologic test were studied. Hemodynamic stability was defined by a systolic blood pressure greater than 80 mm Hg and no clinical evidence of cerebral or myocardial ischemia. Adenosine triphosphate, 20 mg, was administered as a rapid intravenous bolus via a peripheral vein during wide QRS complex tachycardia. Five surface electrocardiogram leads, at least three intracardiac electrograms, and blood pressure were monitored. results: Ventricular tachycardia was present in 14 patients (mean age 50.6 ± 19 years, cycle length 326 ± 67 msec) and adenosine triphosphate terminated the arrhythmia in one case. Ventricular tachycardia cycle length did not change. Among 10 patients with supraventricular tachycardia with mechanisms not involving the AV node (average ventricular cycle length 346 ± 82 msec), one case of ectopic atrial tachycardia was terminated. The ventricular rate was transiently increased in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and atrial fibrillation (average R-R interval 351 ± 84 msec in control and 317 ± 82 msec after adenosine triphosphate, p <0.001). Reentrant tachycardias involving the AV node (cycle length 302 ± 52 msec) terminated in seven of 10 patients. The drug was well tolerated, and no patient developed hemodynamic compromise necessitating cardioversion as a result of adenosine triphosphate.