|
Effect of Opium Tincture on QTc Interval in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder Undergoing Maintenance Therapy
|
|
| Author:
|
LEILA HOSSEINI M.D , SEYYED KAVEH HOJJAT M.D , NAHID REZAEIAN M.D, SANAZ ASADIAN M.D, SARA HOSSEINI M.D, MINA NOROUZI KHALILI M.D, MALIHE SEYEDI M.D
|
| Abstract:
|
Background: Methadone, buprenorphine, and opium tincture are effective in the treatment of opioid dependency. These three drugs are used in the maintenance therapy program of opioid use disorder (OUD). However, there are concerns about the incidence of torsade de point arrhythmia caused by the prolonged drug-dependent QTc interval. This cross-sectional study has been designed to evaluate the influence of opium tincture on QTc, and also compare the effects of these three maintenance therapies on the QTc interval.
Methods: The study population included 110 patients (85% male, mean age = 51.66±13.34) who participated in an opioid maintenance therapy program for at least 6 months. The patients were assigned to three groups of maintenance therapy with opium tincture (n = 30, 25 cc/day), methadone (n = 50, 70 mg/day), and buprenorphine (n = 30, 4mg/day). For all patients, 12-lead ECGs were acquired and interpreted. The QT interval was corrected based on the QTc = QT + 1/75 (heart rate - 60) formula.
Results: The mean QTc interval was 406.31 ± 16.9 with opium tincture, 408.51 ± 25.88 msec with methadone, and 405.58 ± 20.8 msec with buprenorphine. There was no significant difference between the three groups (P = 0.83). There was only one case with QTc of more than 500 msec (511.25 msec) in the maintenance therapy group with methadone.
Conclusions: We concluded that opium tincture (at 25 cc/day) is a safe drug in terms of prolonging the QTc interval and is a suitable candidate for maintenance therapy of opioids.
|
| Keyword:
|
Opioid Maintenance Treatments, Opium Dependence, Electrocardiography
|
| EOI:
|
-
|
| DOI:
|
https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2021.13.01.767
|
| Download:
|
Request For Article
|
|
|