digitoxin and Potassium-Deficiency

Depletion of K and Mg appears to play a significant role in the ventricular tachyarrhythmias seen in alcoholic patients, patients treated with diuretics and/or patients with digitalis toxicity. A therapeutic strategy is suggested by the observation that hypokalemic patients have a 38-42% incidence of concurrent hypomagnesemia: that Mg as well as K should be replenished in all hypokalemic patients who suffer from alcoholism or who are receiving diuretics and/or digitalis because of the ventricular tachyarrhythmias which accompany these clinical states. Routine serum Mg determination will contribute significantly towards identifying patients at risk for cardiac arrhythmias due to Mg depletion.

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Digitalis; Diuretics; Electrocardiography; Humans; Magnesium; Magnesium Deficiency; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic; Potassium Deficiency; Rats

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Aged; Aging; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; Digitalis; Diuretics; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Heart; Heart Block; Heart Diseases; Humans; Hypertension; Mitral Valve; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic; Potassium Deficiency; Risk

In guinea pigs, administration of digitoxin (0.3 mg/kg s.c. for 7-24 days) causes an increase in activity of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase of the heart. The plasma K+ level and the K+ content of the heart muscle of these animals remains unchanged and there is no significant alteration in the digitoxin toxicity compared to controls. In guinea pigs with potassium deficiency produced by a potassium deficient diet for 12 days, there is a related increase of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. The plasma K+ level of these animals is diminished while the K+ content in the heart muscle remains unchanged the toxicity of digitoxin is enhanced. In both test groups the increase in the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity is limited to enzymes from heart muscle, those from brain or kidney remaining unaffected. This increase in activity seems to be the result of an adaptive enzyme induction.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Brain; Digitoxin; Guinea Pigs; Kidney; Male; Myocardium; Potassium Deficiency; Stimulation, Chemical; Time Factors

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Diet; Digitoxin; Guinea Pigs; Heart; Myocardium; Potassium; Potassium Deficiency; Sodium; Strophanthins

Topics: Aged; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Digitalis Glycosides; Digitoxin; Digoxin; Heart Block; Heart Failure; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Potassium Deficiency; Strophanthins

Topics: Adult; Digitalis Glycosides; Digitoxin; Digoxin; Diuretics; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Heart Failure; Heart Rate; Humans; Lanatosides; Potassium Deficiency; Water-Electrolyte Balance

Topics: Adult; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Asparagine; Atropine; Digitoxin; Diuretics; Edetic Acid; Female; Heart; Humans; Hypocalcemia; Magnesium; Potassium; Potassium Deficiency; Salts; Suicide; Toxicology

Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Animals; Digitalis; Digoxin; Hypokalemia; Membrane Potentials; Mice; Myocardium; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic; Potassium Deficiency; Tritium

Topics: Animals; Cardiac Glycosides; Digitoxin; Dogs; Magnesium Deficiency; Potassium Deficiency

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Aortic Diseases; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Diuretics; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Hypokalemia; Iatrogenic Disease; Mitral Valve Stenosis; Potassium Deficiency; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; Toxicology

Topics: Africa; Anemia; Anemia, Sickle Cell; Child; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Fever; Heart Failure; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Kwashiorkor; Myocarditis; Pediatrics; Potassium Deficiency; Toxicology; Tropical Medicine

Topics: Blood Vessels; Digitalis; Humans; Potassium; Potassium Deficiency

Topics: Animals; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Hypokalemia; Incidence; Plant Extracts; Potassium; Potassium Deficiency; Rats

Topics: Animals; Desoxycorticosterone Acetate; Digitalis; Digitalis Glycosides; Dogs; Hypokalemia; Lanatosides; Myocardium; Potassium; Potassium Deficiency