| CERT | Population | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | General population | Population based study found that despite information provided in the package insert, drugs with the potential for QT prolongation are prescribed and dispensed frequently in the outpatient setting. |
| Arizona | General population & Methadone patients | The Arizona CERT developed and continues to maintain an international registry of drug-induced arrhythmias at www.qtdrug.org. From that registry, the PI describes the most striking discovery in this project as being the detection of an unexpected drug toxicity and a new risk of toxicity from a group of intravenously administered drugs [methadone]. |
| Arizona | Methadone patients | Contrary to recent reports in the literature, we concluded from our analysis of the cases that prolonged QT and TdP (Torsade de Pointes) can occur over a wide range of dosages including those recommended for addiction treatment. |
| Duke | Cardiac patients | Evaluation of the dofetilide risk management program initially found the program to be effective but also found a deficit in the knowledge of other QT-prolonging medications. |
| Duke | Cardiac patients | Additionally, Duke CERT studied dosage of dofetilide and sotalol, drugs to treat the same problem, but one (dofetilide) with a risk management program and one without. Found that dofetilide was used in more appropriate doses but was prescribed less often. |
| Vanderbilt | General population | Finalizing a list of drugs for which there is strong evidence that these agents cause both QT prolongation and TdP, and with sufficient frequency to be a factor in the clinical use of these drugs, and understand drug-drug interactions and sudden cardiac death. |
| Duke | General population | The use of QT prolonging medications in combination with either other QT prolonging medications or medications that inhibit the clearance of QT prolonging medications... Approximately 5% of patients who received a QT prolonging drug during the study period received one more additional QT prolonging medication and/or a medication with known potential for interaction with QT prolonging medication. Most of these potential drug interactions occurred in patients with one of more risk factors for TdP. |