A Case of Ventricular Tachycardia after Chloral Hydrate Ingestion

ABSTRACT

Chloral hydrate is widely used as a sedative or hypnotic, especially in pediatric patients, but cardiac arrhythmia following chloral hydrate administration has rarely been reported in literature up to date. The most common cardiac arrhythmia is ventricular extrasystole. We describe a 17- year-old Down syndrome patient who developed a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia developed after chloral hydrate administration of 100mg/kg body weight, which is within the recommended limits of dosage. Children who are given chloral hydrate, even within the recommended dosage, should be carefully observed because of the possibility of cardiac arrhythmia.