Table 2.
QT Prolongation According to Drug Exposures and CERT Classification
| Drug Class Exposed | All Suspected Overdoses | Confirmed by Toxicology‡ | Single-drug Exposed | Multi-drug Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (% with QTP) | ||||
| Opioids | ||||
| Methadone** | 41 (22) | 23 (26) | 3 (0) | 38 (24)† |
| Oxycodone | 23 (26)† | 12 (17) | 1 (0) | 22 (27)† |
| Other | 44 (20) | 23 (17) | 7 (0) | 37 (24)† |
| ALL | 102 (20)† | 55 (18) | 11 (0) | 91 (22)† |
| Sympathomimetics | ||||
| Cocaine | 63 (14) | 35 (9) | 9 (22) | 54 (13) |
| Other | 16 (38) | 8 (50) | 6 (33) | 10 (40) |
| ALL | 79 (19) | 43 (16) | 15 (25) | 64 (17) |
| Benzodiazepines | ||||
| ALL | 96 (17) | 58 (17) | 10 (10) | 86 (17)† |
| Antidepressants | ||||
| Es-/Citalopram** | 11 (0) | 4 (0) | 1 (0) | 10 (0) |
| TCA** | 10 (10) | 2 (0) | 3 (33) | 7 (0) |
| Other | 45 (16) | 18 (11) | 7 (29) | 38 (13) |
| ALL | 66 (12) | 24 (8) | 11 (27) | 55 (9) |
| Antipsychotics | ||||
| Quetiapine** | 31 (10) | 15 (7) | 6 (0) | 25 (12) |
| Other | 28 (7) | 10 (0) | 6 (33) | 22 (0) |
| ALL | 59 (8) | 25 (4) | 12 (17) | 47 (6) |
| Anticonvulsants | ||||
| ALL | 31 (3) | 16 (6) | 10 (10) | 21 (0) |
| Mood-Stabilizers | ||||
| Lithium** | 8 (13) | 8 (13) | 5 (20) | 3 (0) |
| OTC Drugs | ||||
| Diphenhydramine** | 24 (8) | 8 (0) | 4 (25) | 20 (5) |
| Acetaminophen | 61 (15) | 61 (15) | 6 (17) | 55 (15) |
| Any CERT Drug** | 131 (12.9) | 60 (13) | 23 (17) | 108 (12.0) |
| TOTALS* | 472 (12.7) | 190 (13.7) | 159 (15.1) | 313 (11.5) |
†
Indicates bivariate p < 0.05 for association with QTP, denoted in BOLD.
‡
“Toxicology Positive:” patients with any positive urine/serum drug concentration/screen.
*
Columns individually do not add up to 100% due to involvement of multi-drug exposures.
**
CERT listing for TdP risk.
Abbreviations: OTC = over the counter; QTP = QT prolongation controlled for gender (>460 ms in males, >470 ms in females) ; TCA = tricyclic antidepressants.