Study of digoxin use in a public health unit

Bibliographic Details
Title: Study of digoxin use in a public health unit
Authors: Souza, Felipe C., Marques, Emiliana B., Scaramello, Rogério B.M., Christianne, B.V.
Source: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. June 2015 87(2)
Publisher Information: Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 2015.
Publication Year: 2015
Subject Terms: digoxin, intoxication, public health unit, therapeutic range
More Details: Digoxin is used for heart failure associated to systolic dysfunction and high ventricular rate. It has a narrow therapeutic range and intoxication may occur due to drug interactions or comorbidities. The aim of this work was to study digoxin use in a public health unit delineating the profile of patients susceptible to digitalis intoxication. Medical records belonging to patients admitted to the cardiomyopathy ward of the health unit (2009-2010) and in use of digoxin were analyzed. Among 647 patients admitted, 185 individuals using digoxin and possessed records available. The registration of plasma digoxin concentration was found in 80 records and it was out of the therapeutic range in 42 patients (52.5%). This group of individuals was constituted mainly by males patients (79%), functional class III of heart failure (65%), exhibiting renal failure (33%). The evaluated sample reflects the epidemiology of heart failure in Brazil and, although pharmacotherapy had been according to Brazilian Guidelines, apparently the monitoring was not performed as recommended. This work highlighs the necessity of plasma digoxin constant monitoring during pharmacotherapy and the development of protocols that enable a safer use, especially in male patients, functional class III and with renal dysfunction.
Document Type: article
File Description: text/html
Language: English
ISSN: 0001-3765
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201520140133
Access URL: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652015000201033
Rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Accession Number: edssci.S0001.37652015000201033
Database: SciELO
More Details
ISSN:00013765
DOI:10.1590/0001-3765201520140133
Published in:Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Language:English