Rapid acute amiodarone-induced hepatotoxicity in a burn patient.

Abstract

Acute burn and trauma patients have a higher frequency of cardiac arrhythmias than would be expected for noncardiac-hospitalized patients. Amiodarone is an effective, commonly used drug for cardiac arrhythmias in this patient population. We present a 54-year-old white man treated in the burn intensive care unit for 70% TBSA burns. The patient developed an acute increase in liver enzymes within days of starting intravenous amiodarone for the control of atrial fibrillation. A full radiologic hepatobiliary investigation did not reveal a source for hepatotoxicity. Discontinuation of amiodarone resulted in a rapid decrease in liver enzyme levels to baseline values. It is important to identify amiodarone as a potential cause of severe hepatotoxicity in burn patients, despite short duration of use and a low cumulative dose.