Digitalis Toxicity Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Vinod Patel, MD; Chief Editor: Jeffrey N Rottman, MD   more...
 
Updated: Dec 16, 2011
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

Conditions to consider in the differential diagnosis of digitalis toxicity include the following:

  • Sepsis
  • Sinus node dysfunction
  • Calcium channel blocker toxicity
  • Beta-blocker toxicity
  • Organophosphate toxicity
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Acute renal failure
  • Ventricular fibrillation
  • Ventricular tachycardia
  • Arrhythmias
  • Syncope
  • Cardiotoxic plant ingestion
  • Class I-A cardiac drug toxicity
  • Clonidine toxicity
  • Dehydration
  • Hypomagnesemia
  • First-degree heart block
  • Second-degree heart block
  • Third-degree heart block

Differential Diagnoses

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Vinod Patel, MD  Medical Director, Jefferson Family Medicine Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Buffalo, State University of New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Vinod Patel, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, and North American Primary Care Research Group

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Paul Arthur James, MD  Professor and Head, Department of Family Medicine, Donald J and Anna M Ottilie Endowed Chair in Family Medicine, University of Iowa, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine

Paul Arthur James, MD, is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, North American Primary Care Research Group, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Jeffrey N Rottman, MD  Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Chief, Department of Cardiology, Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Jeffrey N Rottman, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Heart Association and North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (NASPE)

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Megan Boysen, MD Resident Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Irvine Medical Center

Megan Boysen, MD, is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Timothy E Corden, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Co-Director, Policy Core, Injury Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin; Associate Director, PICU, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Timothy E Corden, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, Phi Beta Kappa, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Wisconsin Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Kenneth T Kwon, MD Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at Irvine Medical Center, Co-Director, Pediatric Emergency Services, Mission Regional Medical Center/Children's Hospital of Orange County at Mission

Kenneth T Kwon, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Ronald J Oudiz, MD, FACP, FACC, FCCP Professor of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine; Director, Liu Center for Pulmonary Hypertension, Division of Cardiology, LA Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Ronald J Oudiz, MD, FACP, FACC, FCCP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Actelion Grant/research funds Clinical Trials + honoraria; Encysive Grant/research funds Clinical Trials + honoraria; Gilead Grant/research funds Clinical Trials + honoraria; Pfizer Grant/research funds Clinical Trials + honoraria; United Therapeutics Grant/research funds Clinical Trials + honoraria; Lilly Grant/research funds Clinical Trials + honoraria; LungRx Clinical Trials + honoraria; Bayer Grant/research funds Consulting

Justin D Pearlman, MD, PhD, ME, MA Director of Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging, Professor of Medicine, Professor of Radiology, Adjunct Professor, Thayer Bioengineering and Computer Science, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Justin D Pearlman, MD, PhD, ME, MA is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and Radiological Society of North America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Thomas P Smith, Jr, MD Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, State University of New York at Buffalo; Associate Regional Medical Director, Merck & Co, Inc

Thomas P Smith, Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, and American Heart Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Jeffrey R Tucker, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Connecticut and Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Disclosure: Merck Salary Employment

Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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Bidirectional tachycardia in a patient with digitalis toxicity.
Bidirectional tachycardia in a patient with digitalis toxicity.
 
 
 
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