Developed in partnership with the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, this course provides a primer on approaches to QTc prolongation and psychotropic medication. After giving a brief overview of Torsades de Pointes (TdP) and QTc prolongation, the faculty experts will discuss psychopharmacology and risk factors for QTc prolongation. Learners will be introduced to ECG interpretation and given treatment and management strategies for patients at risk of TdP.

Learning Objectives

• Confidently measure the QT interval; choose the most appropriate correction formula and calculate the QTc
• Consider the medications and common drug interactions that confer high risk of TdP
• Correlate components of the 12-lead ECG with cardiac electrophysiologic mechanisms
• Develop strategies for managing at-risk patients in various practice settings and populations, including the intensive care unit, substance-use centers, and resource-poor clinics
• Determine an approach to comprehensive risk-benefit analysis, including risk mitigation strategies, in patients who require control of high-risk psychopathology and may be at risk for TdP

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, Residents/Fellows

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
Begin Date: September 20, 2021
End Date: September 20, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Program Presenters

• Scott Beach, M.D., Program Director, MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Harvard Medical School Title: Associate Professor of Psychiatry. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Margo Funk, M.D., Program Director, Brigham and Women's Hospital Psychiatry Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Program Planners

• Mallika Lavakumar, M.D., Psychiatrist, VA Northeast Ohio Health System and MetroHealth Medical Center. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• James Rustad, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth; Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine; Community Based Outpatient Clinic Supervisory Psychiatrist at White River Junction VA Medical Center/Burlington Lakeside VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Scott Beach, M.D., Program Director, MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Harvard Medical School Title: Associate Professor of Psychiatry. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Margo Funk, M.D., Program Director, Harvard South Shore Psychiatry Residency Training Program, VA Boston Healthcare System; Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Ally Brown, M.S., Associate Director, Online Learning, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance