Monitoring Amiodarone Therapy In Cardiac Arrthythmias In The Intensive Care Unit Of A Teaching Hospital In Ghana

Amiodarone hydrochloride, an iodinated benzofuran derivative, is recognized for its antiarrhythmic properties in treating both ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, and for converting atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm and maintaining sinus rhythm. Amiodarone has unusual and complicated pharmacokinetics: it is incompletely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and bioavailability is very variable, around 20-80%. Its major metabolite is desethylamiodarone which is pharmacologically active. Amiodarone is one of the most widely used antiarrhymic medications but in spite of its usefulness amiodarone may have numerous and sometimes lethal side effects and the patient should be counseled on both the minor and serious adverse effects that are possible when taking this antiarrhythmic drug. The properties of amiodarone differ in a significant manner electrophysiological, pharmacokinetically and structurally from those of conventional as well as other investigational antiarrthytmic agents. The unique mechanism of action and the pharmacokinetics of amiodarone and how these factors impact adverse reactions and adhering to the recommended monitoring procedures and thereby providing effective patients counseling form the objectives of this article.