Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Electrocardiol. 2010 Sep 15;43(6):542–547. doi: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2010.07.018

Table 5.

Indications for QT interval monitoring

Top Priority for QT Monitoring Timeframe of Monitoring
1. Patients started on antiarrhythmic drug known to cause torsades de pointes (especially, disopyramide, dofetilide, ibutilide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol) 1. Until drug is discontinued or dosage stable and no prolonged QTc (>0.48 seconds, women; >0.47 seconds, men) and no QT-related arrhythmias (polymorphic ventricular ectopy, couplets, nonsustained VT, torsades de pointes)
2. Patients who overdose from potentially proarrhythmic agent 2. Until drug levels decreased and no QT-related arrhythmias
3. Patients who have new-onset bradyarrhythmias (e.g., complete heart block, long sinus pauses) 3. Until bradyarrhythmia resolved or definitive therapy (e.g., permanent pacemaker)
4. Patients who have severe hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia 4. Until electrolyte disorder corrected and no QT-related arrhythmias

VT, ventricular tachycardia.

Adapted from Drew & Funk, 20067