Astemizoletrade; (Hismanal-Janssen, New Brunswick, NJ) is a nonsedating antihistamine that has the advantage of a oncedaily dosage schedule. This article reports the case of a 14- year-old female who intentionally ingested 270 mg of Astemizoletrade; and developed torsade de pointes, a form of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that is associated with prolongation of the QTc interval. She was successfully treated with magnesium sulfate infusion and had an uneventful recovery over a period of 36 hours. This case illustrates that Astemizoletrade; overdose is not benign and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Use of high-dose Astemizoletrade; may not be advisable for patients who are at risk for prolongation of the QTc interval.
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