Published in IJCP August 2018
Cardiology
Waveforms and Deflections in Toxicology
August 04, 2018 | Sunthari Rajkumar, Vijayakumar N, Nanjilkumaran A, Umarani R
Cardiology
     


Introduced as pieces of wires in the early 18th century, the electrocardiograph (ECG) machine has become an important clinical bedside tool. This easily available, user friendly, noninvasive, inexpensive investigation has spread its wings not only in the field of cardiology, but in almost all other medical fields. Herewith we present a synopsis of few case reports of drug overdose (digoxin, ß-blockers, diazepam and tricyclic antidepressants) either accidental or by deliberate harmful intention who presented to our hospital, to highlight the importance of electrocardiogram (ECG) in toxicology field. One of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity is drug overdose and poisoning, more commonly in rural areas where sophisticated investigations like serum levels of toxins and treatment modalities may not be available. The cardiotoxic poisons bring changes in the ECG wave forms due to multiple effects, the most common being effects on ion channels. In such situations, ECG will help in early detection of life-threatening events, paving way for targeted and timely intervention.