A study of the use of flecainide acetate in the long-term management of cardiac arrhythmias.

Abstract

One hundred and sixty-nine patients with a wide range of cardiac arrhythmias and who had been treated with chronic oral flecainide acetate were reviewed retrospectively. The most common arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (32%), and 20% of the patient population had the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Five hundred and three treatment episodes were assessed, 254 with flecainide alone or in combination, mean duration 7.3 +/- 9.4 months, and 249 without flecainide, mean duration 9.5 +/- 12.3 months. The most common dose for flecainide was 200 mg/day (57% of episodes), and it was used alone in 82% of flecainide treatment episodes. Arrhythmia frequency was reduced or abolished in 73% of flecainide treatment episodes, with little difference between arrhythmia groups. Unwanted effects were seen in 14% of flecainide treatment episodes, and half of these cases were managed by dose adjustment. It is concluded that flecainide acetate is effective in a wide range of cardiac arrhythmias, and that long-term management problems are few.

• Authors: M N Wiseman, J E Elstob, A J Camm, A W Nathan
• Journal: Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE (Pacing Clin Electrophysiol) Vol. 13 Issue 6 Pg. 767-75 (Jun 1990) ISSN: 0147-8389 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1695357 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
• Flecainide

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Anti-Arrhythmia Agents (therapeutic use)
• Atrial Fibrillation (drug therapy)
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Flecainide (therapeutic use, toxicity)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Retrospective Studies
• Tachycardia, Supraventricular (drug therapy)
• Time Factors
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (drug therapy)