Effect of low oral doses of disopyramide and amiodarone on ventricular and atrial arrhythmias of chagasic patients with advanced myocardial damage.

Abstract

Low-dose (7 mg/kg per day) disopyramide administration to arrhythmic chagasic patients decreased the frequency of ventricular extrasystoles in 4 of 17 patients (24%) and suppressed most complex ventricular arrhythmias in 12 of 15 patients (80%). This assessment was made from 72-h continuous Holter monitoring recorded during the course of this double blind, placebo-controlled randomized crossover study. Seven patients (41%) complained of anticholinergic side effects, but no contractile or conduction system depression was seen. Amiodarone (200 mg) given on a single blind, placebo-controlled basis to 9 of these patients reduced the frequency of ventricular extrasystoles in 6 of 9 patients (67%) and suppressed complex ventricular ectopy in 6 of 7 patients (85%). One patient was unable to tolerate this drug (11%). Both drugs seemed less effective in controlling supraventricular arrhythmias, although disopyramide eliminated paroxysms of supraventricular tachycardia in 9 of 13 (69%) and amiodarone in all 6 patients with this arrhythmia. Amiodarone appears to be a better antiarrhythmic drug for chagasic patients, due to its greater effectiveness and lower incidence of side effects.

• Authors: H A Carrasco, A V Vicuña, C Molina, A Landaeta, J Reynosa, N Vicuña, A Fuenmayor, F López
• Journal: International journal of cardiology (Int J Cardiol) Vol. 9 Issue 4 Pg. 425-38 (Dec 1985) ISSN: 0167-5273 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 3908329 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Benzofurans
• Disopyramide
• Amiodarone

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Adult
• Aged
• Amiodarone (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Arrhythmias, Cardiac (drug therapy, etiology)
• Benzofurans (therapeutic use)
• Chagas Cardiomyopathy (complications)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Disopyramide (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Heart Atria (physiopathology)
• Heart Ventricles (physiopathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Myocardium (pathology)
• Random Allocation