Chloroquine-induced torsades de pointes in a patient with coronavirus disease 2019

The case for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, as treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has been voiced not only in medical journals1 but also in the popular press.2 Not only is the efficacy of these antimalarial and anti-inflammatory compounds as antiviral drugs uncertain, but there is also an ongoing debate about their safety.3 In particular, the magnitude of the proarrhythmic potential of these drugs, specifically related to their QT prolongation effects, is questioned: On the one hand, the fact that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine block the IKr potassium channel at the myocyte level, therefore causing QT prolongation, is well documented.
Source: Heart Rhythm - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research