Prognosis

The prognosis for patients who are treated appropriately is very good. Patients generally have no long-term adverse outcomes related to their digoxin toxicity.[28][33] Patients who present with acute digoxin toxicity and have serum potassium concentrations of ≥5.0 mmol/L (≥5.0 mEq/L), who remain untreated and/or undiagnosed, have a mortality of 50%.[34] Patients who present with chronic digoxin toxicity and remain undiagnosed and/or untreated have a reported mortality of 5% to 13%.[4]

The following factors indicate a poorer prognosis: age over 55 years, male, underlying heart disease, high degree atrioventricular block, and hyperkalaemia.[1]

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