Recognizing antiarrhythmic-drug toxicity in acute myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is often associated with disturbances of cardiac rhythm and performance. Disturbances of cardiac rhythm usually warrant the use of antiarrhythmic agents, because such disturbances may have serious and even fatal outcome. Antiarrhythmic agents, however may occasionally be associated with untoward manifestations that can result in electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities and rhythm disturbances that may not be readily recognizable in the presence of an AMI. This article reviews some of the important ECG manifestations of toxicity produced by the commonly used antiarrhythmic agents in AMI.