title: Long-term efficacy of flecainide in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: The efficacy and safety of flecainide for long-term prevention of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) were studied in an open trial. Twenty patients with very frequent attacks (mean 13 per month) of paroxysmal AF for many years (mean 8 years) participated. Before inclusion, the patients had unsuccessfully been treated with an average of 3.3 antiarrhythmic drugs. Efficacy was jugded from a carefully kept diary in which the patients made daily notes of any AF attacks and possible side-effects from 1 month before treatment until the end of a follow-up period of 6 months. Twelve patients (60%) were completely free from AF and 11 of these are still successfully treated with flecainide after 11-38 months (mean 24 months). Flecainide plasma levels did not differ between responders and non-responders. Eleven patients (55%) had adverse effects but these were usually mild and well tolerated, necessitating withdrawal or dose reduction resulting in relapse of AF only in three patients (15%). No proarrhythmic events were seen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sonnhag
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kallryd
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nylander
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rydén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005424:Flecainide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005424:Flecainide