title: Intravenous propafenone for suppression of symptomatic atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in a first aid hospital.
abstract: The efficacy and safety of propafenone (PPF) were prospectively evaluated in 20 patients (13 men and 7 women, age 39 +/- 14 years) with atrial arrhythmias (AA) (atrial fibrillation: n = 13; atrial flutter: n = 7). All patients had arrhythmias from 109 +/- 63 minutes, (iT) without clinical evidence of heart failure. Intravenous PPF was given as a 1 mg/kg bolus over 5 minutes, with a therapeutical possibility of a second bolus (1 mg/kg) after 10 minutes if sinus rhythm was not restored. The conversion time (cT) was 6.4 +/- 2.2 minutes (range 3 to 18 minutes). In 19 patients (95%) sinus rhythm was restored and no serious adverse and proarrhythmic effects were noted in each patient. We conclude that 1) PPF is effective and acted significantly faster in controlling AA; 2) PPF appears to be well tolerated and relative safe with a low incidence of adverse and proarrhythmic effects in patients in a first aid station.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hospital of Pellegrini, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: di Ieso
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: D'Armiento
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Furia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruzzese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piatto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varriale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005392:First Aid; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011405:Propafenone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D011405:Propafenone