Quinidine precautions
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Phone:617-525-6884
List of precautions
Heart block
Carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, impairment of fertility
Pregnancy
Labor and delivery
Nursing mothers
Pediatric use
Geriatric use
Heart block
In patients without implanted pacemakers who are at high risk of complete atrioventricular block (eg, those with digitalis intoxication, second–degree atrioventricular block, or severe intraventricular conduction defects), Quinidine should be used only with caution. Return to top
Carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, impairment of fertility
Animal studies to evaluate Quinidine's carcinogenic or mutagenic potential have not been performed. Similarly, there are no animal data as to Quinidine's potential to impair fertility. Return to top
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category C — Animal reproductive studies have not been conducted with Quinidine. There are no adequate and well–controlled studies in pregnant women. Quinidine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
In one neonate whose mother had received Quinidine throughout her pregnancy, the serum level of Quinidine was equal to that of the mother, with no apparent ill effect. The level of Quinidine in amniotic fluid was about three times higher than that found in serum. Return to top
Labor and delivery
Quinine is said to be oxytocic in humans, but there are no adequate data as to Quinidine's effect (if any) on human labor and delivery. Return to top
Nursing mothers
Quinidine is present in human milk at levels slightly lower than those in maternal serum; a human infant ingesting such milk should (scaling directly by weight) be expected to develop serum Quinidine levels at least an order of magnitude lower than those of the mother. On the other hand, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Quinidine in human infants have not been adequately studied, and neonates' reduced protein binding of Quinidine may increase their risk of toxicity at low total serum levels. Administration of Quinidine should (if possible) be avoided in lactating women who continue to nurse. Return to top
Pediatric use
In antimalarial trials, Quinidine was as safe and effective in pediatric patients as in adults. Notwithstanding the known pharmacokinetic differences between pediatric patients and adults, pediatric patients in these trials received the same doses (on a mg/kg basis) as adults.
Safety and effectiveness of antiarrhythmic use in pediatric patients have not been established. Return to top
Geriatric use
Safety and efficacy of Quinidine in elderly patients has not been systematically studied. Clinical studies of Quinidine did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. The reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range, reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal or cardiac function and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy. Return to top
The content of this page is taken from the FDA package insert for this drug and should not be edited.
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .

