VENTRICULAR-TACHYCARDIA AND TORSADES-DE-POINTES COMPLICATING PENTAMIDINE THERAPY OF PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII PNEUMONIA IN THE ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME

Torsades de pointes is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) that occurs in the setting of acquired or idiopathic QT-interval prolongation and may be facilitated by nutritional deficiency1 and electrolyte abnormalities.2 Four reports have associated the occurrence of this arrhythmia in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with QT-interval prolongation related to the use of pentamidine isethionate.3-6 We have recently seen 4 patients who developed torsades de pointes or monomorphic VT during the course of pentamidine treatment for P. carinii pneumonia and a description of them follows. © 1990.