Abstract

Aim: Bupropion is frequently preferred for smoking cessation, which is an important public health problem. Side effect profiles are the most important drawback in drug use. In our study, we investigated the cardiac side effects that may interfere with Bupropion use through ECG changes. In our study, we aimed to determine the effect of Bupropion on ECG by comparing ECGs before and after 2 months of Bupropion use. This is the first article in the medical literature investigating the effect of Bupropion on ECG.
Materials and Methods: Our study is a retrospective cohort study. It was conducted on patients who applied to the smoking cessation outpatient clinic of our hospital and were started on Bupropion. ECGs were classified according to Minnesota Code (MC) criteria.
Results: Our study was completed with 452 patients. Before Bupropion use, 305 patients had normal ECG, 96 patients had minor ECG changes and 51 patients had major ECG changes. After 2 months of Bupropion use, premature beats were detected in only 2 patients.
Conclusion: Some side effects may occur without manifesting clinically, so we planned this study to determine the cardiac side effects of Bupropion that are not reflected in the clinic. In our study, we found that Bupropion had no serious side effects on ECG after 2 months of Bupropion use.

Key words: Smoking cessation, bupropiyon, smoking