Other Symptoms of Digitalis Toxicity

Patients with digitalis toxicity present with nonspecific symptoms such as weakness, nausea, and vomiting. Other peculiar symptoms include an enhanced perception of yellow and green hues and seeing halos of light. Hallucinations and delirium have also been documented.

Women are more susceptible to digitalis toxicity and its effects because they retain digoxin in the serum longer. Clinicians must carefully consider the dose when applying this therapeutic regimen to women. A serum concentration of < 1.0 nmol/L will suffice.

Women diagnosed with congestive heart failure or a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction and treated with digoxin have a high mortality rate.

Digitalis Toxicity ECG ⁶⁶

The ECG above is classic for a patient with digitalis toxicity. The atrial rate is about 150 bpm; a high-grade 2^nd-degree AV block with an AV ratio of 4:1 is evident, as are frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).