American Psychiatric Association

December 1, 2017 | View Online | Psychiatric News

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Congratulations! Your answer was correct.
It's B. Aripiprazole.

Explanation: All antipsychotics may prolong the QT interval, with the possible exception of aripiprazole (option B). Haloperidol (option A), droperidol (option E), thioridazine (option C), sertindole, and ziprasidone (option D) tend to produce greater magnitude QT prolongation than other agents. QT interval prolongation corrected for heart rate (QTc) greater than 500 msec is associated with increased risk of polymorphic sustained ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes), which can degenerate into ventricular fibrillation.

Muskin PR and Dickerman AL, eds. Study Guide for the Psychiatry Board Examination. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2016: 99, 368. Click here to purchase. Members can purchase at a discount.

Advertisement