title: Pirmenol in the termination of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
abstract: The effects of pirmenol in terminating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia were studied in 25 patients. Pirmenol was administered as 1 or 2 injections of 50 mg to 17 patients during a spontaneous attack, or as a 50-mg bolus followed by steady infusion of 2.5 mg/min in 8 patients during a tachycardia that was induced electrophysiologically. Termination was successful in 11 of 17 patients who had a spontaneous attack and in 3 of 8 patients who had induced tachycardia. Pirmenol was effective in 3 of 5 patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant mechanism, but in none of 3 patients with a reentrant tachycardia with a retrogradely conducting atrioventricular bypass tract. Conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in 14 of 25 patients (56%). No hemodynamic adverse effects occurred. Pirmenol increased the atrial effective refractory period, but had little effect on conduction in the atrioventricular node and His-Purkinje system. Reentry was abolished through a block in the retrograde part of the dual atrioventricular nodal pathway, which is typical of class I antiarrhythmic agents.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D010880:Piperidines; C024318:pirmenol