Question:medium
A patient has pulmonary fibrosis. Which antiarrhythmic drug should NOT be given to this patient?
A patient has pulmonary fibrosis. Which antiarrhythmic drug should NOT be given to this patient?
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One of these drugs is famous for causing the very lung disease in question.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Amiodarone
- Flecainide
- IV ibutilide
- Lidocaine
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Clinical pearl: of all antiarrhythmics, amiodarone is the one with a signature multi organ toxicity profile, and the lung is its most feared target. Amiodarone pulmonary toxicity ranges from acute hypersensitivity pneumonitis to chronic interstitial fibrosis, and the drug accumulates in lung tissue because of its long half life and lipophilicity. Giving it to someone who already carries a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis would pour fuel on the fire. Run the elimination: flecainide is a class IC agent whose main caution is proarrhythmia in structural heart disease, not lung damage; ibutilide is a short acting class III agent used for cardioversion with QT prolongation as its concern; lidocaine is a class IB drug whose toxicity is neurological. None of these three scar the lung. That leaves amiodarone as the drug to avoid.
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