Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1989 10(Supplement E):81-87; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/10.suppl_E.81
Copyright © 1989 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Geibel, A.
Right arrow Articles by Just, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Geibel, A.
Right arrow Articles by Just, H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1989 The European Society of Cardiology

Antiarrhythmic efficacy and tolerance of oral propafenone in patients with frequent ventricular arrhythmias: Experience of a multicentre study

A. Geibel, T. Meinertz, M. Zehender*, J. Vitak, S. Hohnloser, A. Kunz-Fritze and H. Just

Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinik Freiburg 78 Freiburg, West Germany

Address for correspondence: Annette Geibel MD, Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinik Freiburg, Hugstetterstrasse 55, 78 Freiburg, West Germany

In a multicentre study efficacy and safety of propafenone 450 mg day–1 and 750 mg day–1 was studied in 97 patients with frequent ventricular premature beats (VPB > 30 h–1). 70 patients suffered from organic heart disease, in 27 patients no organic heart disease was present during an initial work-up. After a 1-week washout period, all patients underwent 24 h Holter monitoring. Patients were then treated by propafenone 450 mg day–1 and controlled for 24 h Holter, ECG, blood pressure, blood chemistry and side-effects afrer 1 week of treatment. At this time, 35 patients were responders (reduction of VPB > 84%, of ventricular pairs > 90% and of ventricular tachycardia 100%). The mean reduction of VPB in all patients was 60%, of ventricular pairs 88% and of ventricular tachycardia 100%. When treatment was continued for 3 weeks 20/35 patients (56%) were still responders. The mean reduction of VPB was 83%. In 42 non-responders to 450 mg day–1 the dose was increased to 750 mg day–1. Of these patients, 17 (41%) became responders after 3 weeks of treatment; the mean reduction of VPB increased from 17% (first week, 450 mg day–1) to 63% (750 mg day–1). Ventricular pairs were reduced by 80%, ventricular tachycardia by 100%. Side-effects occurred in 11/97 patients and limited therapy in six patients. The most frequent complaints were dryness of the mouth, nausea, tiredness, headache and gastrointestinal upset. In conclusion, propafenone in a dose of 450–750 mg day–1 seems to be an effective andsafe antiarrhythmic agent in the majority of patients.

Key Words: Propafenone • Holter ECG

* Medical Department International, Knoll AG, Ludwigshafen, F.R.G.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.