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Risk management of QTc-prolongation in patients receiving haloperidol: an epidemiological study in a University hospital in Belgium

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Abstract

Background Many drugs, including haloperidol, are linked with a risk of QTc-prolongation, which can lead to Torsade de Pointes and sudden cardiac death. Objective To investigate the prevalence of concomitant risk factors for QTc-prolongation in patients treated with haloperidol, and the use of safety measures to minimize this risk. Setting: University Hospitals of Leuven, Belgium. Methods A retrospective epidemiological study was performed. On 15 consecutive Mondays, all patients with a prescription for haloperidol were included. A risk score for QTc-prolongation, inspired by the pro-QTc score of Haugaa et al., was calculated based on gender, comorbidities, lab results and concomitant QTc-prolonging drugs (each factor counting for one point). Available electrocardiograms before and during the treatment of haloperidol were registered. Main outcome measure: Management of the risk of QTc-prolongation. Results Two hundred twenty-two patients were included (59.0 % men, median age 77 years) of whom 26.6 % had a risk score of ≥4 (known to significantly increase the mortality). Overall, 24.3 % received haloperidol in combination with other drugs with a known risk of Torsade de Pointes. Half of the patients had an electrocardiogram in the week before the start of haloperidol; only in one-third a follow-up electrocardiogram during haloperidol treatment was performed. Of the patients with a moderately (n = 41) or severely (n = 14) prolonged QTc-interval before haloperidol, 48.8 % and 42.9 % respectively had a follow-up electrocardiogram. In patients with a risk score ≥4, significantly more electrocardiograms were taken before starting haloperidol (p = 0.020). Conclusions Although many patients had risk factors for QTc-prolongation (including the use of other QTc-prolonging drugs) or had a prolonged QTc on a baseline electrocardiogram, follow-up safety measures were limited. Persistent efforts should be taken to develop decision support systems to manage this risk.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank the University Hospitals Leuven and the treating physicians to approve this epidemiological study. We especially want to thank the IT service of the hospital for delivering the retrospective query that was very helpful to select patients treated with haloperidol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 521, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Eline Vandael, Isabel Spriet & Veerle Foulon

  2. Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Bert Vandenberk & Rik Willems

  3. Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Bert Vandenberk & Rik Willems

  4. Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Joris Vandenberghe

  5. Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Joris Vandenberghe

  6. Department of Pharmacy, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Isabel Spriet

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  1. Eline Vandael
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Correspondence to Eline Vandael.

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Funding

PhD-student EV is supported by funding of the Belgian government agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT). RW is supported as a clinical researcher by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders.

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None declared.

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Vandael, E., Vandenberk, B., Vandenberghe, J. et al. Risk management of QTc-prolongation in patients receiving haloperidol: an epidemiological study in a University hospital in Belgium. Int J Clin Pharm 38, 310–320 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-015-0242-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-015-0242-9

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