Cimetidine and Arrhythmia Suppression

Excerpt

To the editor: Since the publication of the editorial on cimetidine in this journal (1), it has been reported to cause several side effects such as impairment of renal and liver functions (2), mental confusion, and elevation of plasma prolactin. In the case reported here, cimetidine controlled arrhythmia while slowing the heart rate.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the department of surgery for a feeding gastrostomy. The patient suffered a cerebral vascular accident 5 years previously and has had left hemiplegia since then. Two months before the present admission, his neurologic status deteriorated after evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma.