title: Clinical pharmacokinetics of intravenous flecainide in critically ill patients.
abstract: Plasma flecainide (FLC) levels versus time were measured in a group of 10 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients at our Intensive Care Unit. These patients were treated with single doses of 150 mg FLC as a 30-min intravenous infusion. Mean FLC plasma concentration values at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h following administration were 562 +/- 271, 342 +/- 129, 270 +/- 90m, 240 +/- 80 and 210 +/- 60 ng/ml, respectively. Flecainide pharmacokinetics fitted an open two-compartment model, with a rapid distribution phase and a slow elimination phase. Mean values for the terminal plasma half-life (t1/2 beta) was 22.0 +/- 9.7 h and the volume of distribution (V beta) was 7.99 +/- 3.02 1/kg. FLC is different to other i.v. antiarrhythmics in having a prolonged plasma half-life which is a decided advantage. In contrast to lidocaine, FLC has a pharmacokinetic profile that enables it to be used for treating ventricular arrhythmia without constant-rate i.v. infusion and without the need for complicated loading dosages in order to avoid a 'pharmacokinetic dip' over the first hour of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Alcanyis Hospital, Xàtiva, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sangrador
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Alcaraz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ibáñez
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005424:Flecainide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D005424:Flecainide