Oral Sodium Bicarbonate as Adjunctive Therapy for Suspected Propafenone Cardiotoxicity in a Hemodynamically Stable Patient: A Case Report with Literature Review
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Keywords

CYP450 interaction
Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
Propafenone
Sodium bicarbonate
Case Report

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How to Cite

1.
Arora A, Elsayed A, Elsayed Y, Ayoub WJ, Ching A. Oral Sodium Bicarbonate as Adjunctive Therapy for Suspected Propafenone Cardiotoxicity in a Hemodynamically Stable Patient: A Case Report with Literature Review. ASIDE Case Reports. 2026;3(1):36-40. doi:10.71079/ASIDE.CR.022826324

Abstract

We present the case of a 74-year-old male with a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) who presented with fatigue. During hospitalization, telemetry captured an episode of hemodynamically stable wide-complex tachycardia consistent with monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. A 12-lead ECG revealed atrioventricular dissociation and a widened QRS complex. After discontinuing propafenone and initiating oral sodium bicarbonate due to limited intravenous availability, ECG abnormalities gradually improved over several hours, and the rhythm reverted to baseline PAF. A subsequent laboratory test confirmed supratherapeutic propafenone levels. This case highlights a temporally associated improvement in suspected propafenone cardiotoxicity with oral sodium bicarbonate in a hemodynamically stable patient. Written informed consent for publication was obtained.

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References

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Copyright (c) 2026 Alok Arora, Ahmed Elsayed, Yousif Elsayed , Wadah Jason Ayoub, Alice Ching