QTc-interval abnormalities in a forensic population.

Background: Antipsychotic drugs have been linked to sudden death among psychiatric patients, with a suggestion that prolongation of the QT-interval detectable on a standard electrocardiogram may be linked to fatal cardiac arrhythmias in these circumstances. Patients in secure forensic psychiatric facilities may be particularly likely to be on high-dose antipsychotic medication, and yet, as far as the authors are aware, no study of QT-intervals among such patients has been reported.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of QT-interval abnormalities and associated known risk factors for fatal cardiac arrhythmias in a sample of forensic patients.