Emergencias
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Characteristics of digoxin toxicity attended in Spanish emergency departments according to type of poisoning and administration of digoxin antibodies: the DIGITOX study.
Digoxin toxicity accounts for a small percentage of poisonings attended by emergency departments. This study aimed to describe differences between acute and chronic digoxin toxicity and assess the use of digoxin-specific antibody fragments (digoxin-Fab) as an antidote. ⋯ Chronic toxicity accounts for most digoxin poisoning cases, and most patients are women. Acute toxicity is more serious. Patients who required digoxin-Fab have more severe poisoning. Such patients usually have acute toxicity, and attempted suicide is more often the reason for the emergency.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia managed in emergency departments, and the already high prevalence of this arrhythmia is increasing in Spain. This serious condition associated with increased mortality and morbidity has a negative impact on patient quality of life and the functioning of the health care system. ⋯ The statement was drafted by a multidisciplinary team of specialists from the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC), and the Spanish Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (SETH). Strategies for stroke prophylaxis, measures to bring heart rate and heart rhythm under control, and related diagnostic and logistic issues are discussed in detail.