Background and objective: The frequency and circumstances associated with drugs-induced bradiarrhythmia (DB) causing hospital admission are little known.
Patients and method: Retrospective analyses of DB in Cardiology (CD) and Internal Medicine (IMD) Departments of a 3rd level hospital over two consecutive years.
Results: We detected 83 cases (mean age: 72.68, 75.9% women). Most frequent DB was slow atrial fibrillation (55.4%). DB were due to the use of one drug in 41 cases and to an association in 42 cases. Most frequently involved drug was digoxine (62.7%). DB were due to the use of one drug in 41 cases and to an association in 42 cases. Most frequently involved drug was digoxine (62.7%), which was commonly associated with another drug (69.3%). Most frequent pharmacological associations were negative chronotropic drugs (57.1%) followed by their association with a diuretic and/or an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (42.8%), causing renal failure and/or potassium imbalance.
Conclusions: Drugs-induced bradiarrhythmia is a frequent cause of hospital admission in aged people, especially women, and is frequently due to drugs associations and/or renal failure.