Recommendations for the follow-up of patients with cardiovascular disease when administering potentially effective medications for the treatment of COVID-19 with a purpose to reduce the risk of QT prolongation and sudden cardiac death

Abstract

With the rising incidence and wider spread of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, it is of great importance to safely use potentially effective medicines to treat the infection. In recent weeks, a number of publications have emerged describing the likely effect of the use of known drugs, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, and their combination with azithromycin. One of the most serious risks associated with the use of these medications is the drug-induced QT prolongation, which in turn increases the risk of developing torsades de pointes (TdP) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). In this document, we describe an approach to screen patients and monitor them with the aim to reduce the risk of drug-induced side effects.