Monitoring digoxin therapy. The use of plasma digoxin concentration measurements in the diagnosis of digoxin toxicity

Q J Med. 1978 Apr;47(186):111-22.

Abstract

The usefulness of measuring plasma digoxin concentrations in the diagnosis of digoxin toxicity has been assessed in 83 in-patients. The mean plasma digoxin concentration in clinically toxic patients was significantly higher than the mean concentration in non-toxic patients. The overlap between the groups, however, was extensive and could partly be accounted for by hypokalaemia in those toxic patients whose plasma digoxin concentration was less than 3 ng/ml. There was, in addition, a higher incidence of hyperkalaemia, without obvious cause, in toxic patients than in non-toxic patients. Consideration of the incidence of various non-cardiac factors, specifically plasma potassium concentration greater than 5.0 mmol/l, plasma creatinine concentration greater than 150 mumol/l, daily maintenance dose greater than 6 microgram/kg, and age greater than 60 years, led to the development of guidelines to aid in the diagnosis of digoxin toxicity. Patients with plasma digoxin concentration greater than 3 ng/ml or with hypokalaemia should be considered probably toxic and those with plasma digoxin concentration greater than or equal to 3 ng/ml in the absence of hypokalaemia should only be considered toxic if they have at least two of the non-cardiac factors outlined above. Plasma digoxin concentrations could not be predicted with more than 31 per cent certainty by considering the magnitude of those non-cardiac factors.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / chemically induced
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Digoxin / adverse effects*
  • Digoxin / blood
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Potassium / blood

Substances

  • Digoxin
  • Creatinine
  • Potassium