Cardiac arrest due to torsade de pointes (TdP) in the acquired form of drug-induced long-QT syndrome (LQTS) is a rare but potentially catastrophic event in hospital settings. Administration of a QT-prolonging drug to a hospitalized population may be more likely to cause TdP than administration of the same drug to an outpatient population, because hospitalized patients often have other risk factors for a proarrhythmic response. For example, hospitalized patients are often elderly people with underlying heart disease who may also have renal or hepatic dysfunction, electrolyte abnormalities, or bradycardia and to whom drugs may be administered rapidly via the intravenous route.In hospital units where patients' electrocardiograms (ECGs) are monitored continuously, the possibility of TdP may be anticipated by the detection of an increasing QT interval and other premonitory ECG signs of impending arrhythmia. If these ECG harbingers of TdP are recognized, it then becomes possible to discontinue the culprit drug and manage concomitant provocative conditions (eg, hypokalemia, bradyarrhythmias) to reduce the occurrence of cardiac arrest.The purpose of this scientific statement is to raise awareness among those who care for patients in hospital units about the risk, ECG monitoring, and management of drug-induced LQTS. Topics reviewed include the ECG characteristics of TdP and signs of impending arrhythmia, cellular mechanisms of acquired LQTS and current thinking about genetic susceptibility, drugs and drug combinations most likely to cause TdP, risk factors and exacerbating conditions, methods to monitor QT intervals in hospital settings, and immediate management of marked QT prolongation and TdP. Characteristic Pattern of TdPThe term torsade de pointes was coined by Dessertenne in 1966 as a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia characterized by a pattern of twisting points. 1 Several ECG features are characteristic of TdP and are illustrated in Figure 1. First, a change in the amplitude and morphology (twisting) of the QRS complexes around the isoelectric line is a typical feature of the arrhythmia;The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology Foundation make every effort to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of an outside relationship or a personal, professional, or business interest of a member of the writing panel. Specifically, all members of the writing group are required to complete and submit a Disclosure Questionnaire showing all such relationships that might be perceived as real or potential conflicts of interest. The American Heart Association requests that this document be cited as follows: Drew BJ, Ackerman MJ, Funk M, Gibler WB, Kligfield P, Menon V, Philippides GJ, Roden DM, Zareba W; on behalf of the American Heart Association Acute Cardiac Care Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, and the American College of Cardiology Foundation. Prevention of torsade de pointes in hospital settings: a sc...

Abstract-The goals of electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring in hospital settings have expanded from simple heart rate and basic rhythm determination to the diagnosis of complex arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia, and prolonged QT interval. Whereas computerized arrhythmia analysis is automatic in cardiac monitoring systems, computerized ST-segment ischemia analysis is available only in newer-generation monitors, and computerized QT-interval monitoring is currently unavailable. Even in hospitals with ST-monitoring capability, ischemia monitoring is vastly underutilized by healthcare professionals. Moreover, because no computerized analysis is available for QT monitoring, healthcare professionals must determine when it is appropriate to manually measure QT intervals (eg, when a patient is started on a potentially proarrhythmic drug). The purpose of the present review is to provide 'best practices' for hospital ECG monitoring. Randomized clinical trials in this area are almost nonexistent; therefore, expert opinions are based upon clinical experience and related research in the field of electrocardiography. This consensus document encompasses all areas of hospital cardiac monitoring in both children and adults. The emphasis is on information clinicians need to know to monitor patients safely and effectively. Recommendations are made with regard to indications, timeframes, and strategies to improve the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac arrhythmia, ischemia, and QT-interval monitoring. Currently available ECG lead systems are described, and recommendations related to staffing, training, and methods to improve quality are provided. Key Words: AHA Scientific Statements Ⅲ pediatrics Ⅲ electrocardiography Ⅲ torsade de pointes Ⅲ myocardial infarction Ⅲ tachyarrhythmias Ⅲ ischemia Ⅲ antiarrhythmic agents Ⅲ long-QT syndrome S ince the introduction of electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring in hospital units Ͼ40 years ago, 1 the goals of monitoring have expanded from simple tracking of heart rate and basic rhythm to the diagnosis of complex arrhythmias, the detection of myocardial ischemia, and the identification of a prolonged QT interval. During the same 4 decades, major improvements have occurred in cardiac monitoring systems, including computerized arrhythmia detection algorithms, STsegment/ischemia monitoring software, improved noisereduction strategies, multilead monitoring, and reduced lead sets for monitoring-derived 12-lead ECGs with a minimal number of electrodes. 2,3 Despite these advances in technology, the need for human oversight in the interpretation of ECG monitoring data is as important today as it was 40 years ago for the following reasons. First, cardiac monitor algorithms are intentionally set for high sensitivity at the expense of specificity. As a result, numerous false alarms occur that must be evaluated by healthcare professionals so that overtreatment of patients will not occur. Examples of overtreatment are reported in the The American Heart Association makes every effort to avoid any actual or potential ...

Background and Purpose: This scientific statement provides an interprofessional, comprehensive review of evidence and recommendations for indications, duration, and implementation of continuous electro cardiographic monitoring of hospitalized patients. Since the original practice standards were published in 2004, new issues have emerged that need to be addressed: overuse of arrhythmia monitoring among a variety of patient populations, appropriate use of ischemia and QT-interval monitoring among select populations, alarm management, and documentation in electronic health records. Methods: Authors were commissioned by the American Heart Association and included experts from general cardiology, electrophysiology (adult and pediatric), and interventional cardiology, as well as a hospitalist and experts in alarm management. Strict adherence to the American Heart Association conflict of interest policy was maintained throughout the consensus process. Authors were assigned topics relevant to their areas of expertise, reviewed the literature with an emphasis on publications since the prior practice standards, and drafted recommendations on indications and duration for electrocardiographic monitoring in accordance with the American Heart Association Level of Evidence grading algorithm that was in place at the time of commissioning. Results: The comprehensive document is grouped into 5 sections: (1) Overview of Arrhythmia, Ischemia, and QTc Monitoring; (2) Recommendations for Indication and Duration of Electrocardiographic Monitoring presented by patient population; (3) Organizational Aspects: Alarm Management, Education of Staff, and Documentation; (4) Implementation of Practice Standards; and (5) Call for Research. Conclusions: Many of the recommendations are based on limited data, so authors conclude with specific questions for further research.

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Little is known about the consequences of moral distress. The purpose of this study was to identify clinical situations that caused nurses to experience moral distress, to understand the consequences of those situations, and to determine whether nurses would change their practice based on their experiences. The investigation used a descriptive approach. Open-ended surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of 204 critical care nurses employed at a university medical center. The analysis of participants' responses used an inductive approach and a thematic analysis. Each line of the data was reviewed and coded, and the codes were collapsed into themes. Methodological rigor was established. Forty-nine nurses responded to the survey. The majority of nurses had experienced moral distress, and the majority of situations that caused nurses to experience moral distress were related to end of life. The nurses described negative consequences for themselves, patients, and families.

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We find QT prolongation to be common (24%), with Torsade de Pointes representing 6% of in-hospital cardiac arrests. Predictors of QT prolongation in the acutely ill population are similar to those previously identified in ambulatory populations. Acutely ill patients with QT prolongation have longer lengths of hospitalization and nearly three times the odds for mortality then those without QT prolongation.

Findings from this study suggest that, in addition to a low Braden Scale score, age >70 years and a diagnosis of diabetes may represent clinically relevant pressure ulcer risk factors in the surgical intensive care population and that patients with these factors may benefit from more aggressive preventive care. In addition, the Surgical ICU Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment scale requires additional psychometric testing before its use can be recommended for the research or practice settings.