[Electrocardiographic studies of patients with acute hellebore (Veratrum album) poisoning].

In 12 patients, 20 to 80 years of age, 6 men and 6 women, with acute hellebore (Veratrum album) intoxication the electrocardiographic changes were studied. In 10 of them a characteristic ECG pattern was found: sinus bradycardia 38-40/m, shortening of the interval PQ up to 0.12-0.08 s and QTc up to 0.36-0.32 s, slow intraventricular conduction--transitory right and incomplete left bundle-branch block, rhythm disorders--atrial and substitutional ventricular extrasystoles, nodal rhythm (I patient), disturbed ventricular repolarization--depression of ST-segment, low and (or) pointed T waves. The authors are of the opinion that the bradycardia is due to a reflexively increased vagal tonus but the other changes of the ECG are caused by the direct toxic action of the hellebore alkaloids on the myocardium. This suggestion is supported by the fact that atropine corrects the bradycardia but not the other pathological changes of the ECG. They are beneficially influenced by the fast elimination of the toxins and the application of cardiotropic means--atriphos, cocarboxylase, vitamins of the group B.