Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1993 14(4):546-550;
Copyright © 1993 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
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
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by VIGNATI, G.
Right arrow Articles by FIGINI, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by VIGNATI, G.
Right arrow Articles by FIGINI, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1993 The European Society of Cardiology

The use of propafenone in the treatment of tachyarrhythmias in children

G. VIGNATI, L. MAURI and A. FIGINI

Pediatric Cardiology Section, ‘De Gasperis’ Department of Cardiology, Niguarda Hospital Milan, Italy

Received 24 January 1992; revised 19 October 1992; .

Correspondence: Dr Gabriele Vignati, Via Pacini, 34, 20133 Milan, Italy.

Abstract

Propafenone was given to 60 children (mean age 4.5 years) with paroxysmal re-entrant supraventricular tachycardia (rSVT: 41 cases), postoperative automatic junctional tachycardia (JET: eight cases), automatic atrial tachycardia (AT: four cases), ventricular tachycardia (VT: four cases) and atrial flutter (AF: three cases).

In acute cases (29) propafenone was administered intravenously (mean dose 1.3±0.5 mg . kg–1) chronic oral treatment (mean dose of either 11±3.3 mg . kg. day–1 or 265±78 mg . m–2 . day–1) was given to 48 children, in 2–3 divided doses. Overall efficacy was 76% for acute and 69% for chronic treatment, with best results in paroxysmal rSVT. It was effective in 89% acutely of those treated acutely and in 69% of those administered chronically. The efficacy of propafenone in the prevention of rSVT was strictly related to the incidence of attacks before treatment. propafenone was indeed inefficacious in 6/11, 6/14 and 0/12 of patients with daily, weekly and monthly attacks respectively.

Side effects were observed in 25% of patients: 6% required suspension of therapy due to pro-arrhythrnic effects in one patient on intravenous administration, peripheral neuropathy in one case and hypotension in two postoperative JET patients.

In conclusion, its efficacy and limited side effects make propafenone a relatively safe and very useful drug in the treatment of various tachyarrhythmias. However, risk of unpredictable toxic levels requires careful use of the drug especially in the first days of treatment, when a daily monitoring of ECG is strongly recommended.

Key Words: Propafenone • efficacy • children • tachyarrhythmias


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


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Am Coll CardiolHome page
Committee Members, C. Blomstrom-Lundqvist, M. M. Scheinman, E. M. Aliot, J. S. Alpert, H. Calkins, A. J. Camm, W. B. Campbell, D. E. Haines, K. H. Kuck, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC guidelines for the management of patients with supraventricular arrhythmias --executive summary: a report of the American college of cardiology/American heart association task force on practice guidelines and the European society of cardiology committee for practice guidelines (writing committee to develop guidelines for the management of patients with supraventricular arrhythmias) Developed in Collaboration with NASPE-Heart Rhythm Society
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., October 15, 2003; 42(8): 1493 - 1531.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 CirculationHome page
C. Blomstrom-Lundqvist, M. M. Scheinman, E. M. Aliot, J. S. Alpert, H. Calkins, A. J. Camm, W. B. Campbell, D. E. Haines, K. H. Kuck, B. B. Lerman, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Supraventricular Arrhythmias*--Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Supraventricular Arrhythmias)
Circulation, October 14, 2003; 108(15): 1871 - 1909.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Heart JHome page
Committee Members, C. Blomstrom-Lundqvist, M. M Scheinman, E. M Aliot, J. S Alpert, H. Calkins, A.J. Camm, W.B. Campbell, D. E Haines, K. H Kuck, et al.
ACC/AHA/ESC guidelines for the management of patients with supraventricular arrhythmias--executive summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American HeartAssociation Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines(Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Supraventricular Arrhythmias)Developed in collaboration with NASPE-Heart Rhythm Society
Eur. Heart J., October 2, 2003; 24(20): 1857 - 1897.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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.