title: Bretylium tosylate in the management of refractory ventricular fibrillation.
abstract: Nine patients who had recurrent ventricular fibrillation following acute myocardial infarction or angina were given bretylium tosylate in a dose of 5 mg./kg. intramuscularly every eight hours after other measures had proved ineffective. Provided the patients were not in shock or in heart failure, there was a considerable reduction in the episodes of ventricular fibrillation.A second group of nine patients who developed recurrent ventricular fibrillation following open heart surgery were given bretylium intravenously, which controlled the arrhythmia in every instance.Bretylium did not completely abolish ventricular premature beats but the latter did not initiate ventricular fibrillation even when they occurred on the T wave.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D001949:Bretylium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005942:Gluconates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000601:surgery; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011342:Procainamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011433:Propranolol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001949:Bretylium Compounds; D005942:Gluconates; D010672:Phenytoin; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D008012:Lidocaine; D011433:Propranolol; D011342:Procainamide; D007545:Isoproterenol; D004837:Epinephrine