In ED practice, droperidol carries a risk of QT prolongation that can progress to torsades de pointes.

• A. It is unrelated to heart rhythm
• B. It always causes torsades
• C. It has no cardiac risks
• D. QT prolongation that can lead to torsades de pointes

Answer: (D)

Droperidol has a known risk of prolonging the QT interval, which can progress to torsades de pointes, a dangerous form of ventricular tachycardia. This is why the statement describing QT prolongation that can lead to torsades de pointes best fits the drug’s cardiac safety profile. The other options miss the established cardiac risk or overstate certainty (it’s not unrelated to heart rhythm, it doesn’t always cause torsades, and it does have cardiac risks). In practice, this means monitoring the QT interval, avoiding high doses and other QT-prolonging drugs, and correcting electrolyte abnormalities when using droperidol.