Electrocardiographic features of butane inhalation

Due to the wide spread of smoking and accessories for it, many adolescents all over the world inhale gas lighter refills (butane), which is called ‘sniffing’. People inhaling butane may suddenly die, often during some activity. Butane is an inhaled recreational drug that sensitises the myocardium to arrhythmogenic effects of catecholamines. Experiments with rats showed arrhythmogenic and ischemic effects associated with inhalation of butane.