Amiodarone-induced complications during coronary artery surgery

Abstract

The efficacy of amiodarone, an investigational drug, in the medical management of cardiac dysrhythmias and angina pectoris is currently under evaluation. It is a noncompetitive adrenergic blocker which prolongs atrial and ventricular action potential durations, and produces coronary artery vasodilatation. Amiodarone possesses several properties which may present problems to the anesthesiologist, including atropine-resistant bradycardia, myocardial depression, peripheral vasodilation, and an extremely long (30-45 days) duration of action. The authors recently encountered most of these problems while anesthetizing a patient taking amiodarone for refractory ventricular tachycardia.