title: [Mexiletine therapy of ventricular extrasystoles in the acute phase of myocardial infarction].
abstract: 25 patients with recent myocardial infarction and ventricular extrasystole occurring either frequently or in bursts were treated by intravenous and then oral mexiletine. Side-effects occurred during the loading dose in 6 patients, then disappeared without sequel, even while treatment was continued in 2 of these patients, or after it was stopped in the remaining 4 (on account of the severity of the side-effects). Rhythm disorders disappeared under mexiletine in 14 patients as soon as the loading dose was administered; its effectiveness was maintained during intravenous perfusion and after the switch to oral administration. Failure occurred in cases of extensive infarction and/or cardiac insufficiency. Mortality, which was zero in those cases in which mexiletine was effective, reached 45% in the failure group. In cases in which mexiletine proved a failure, lidocaine was also ineffective. In one case in which mexiletine was effective, but was stopped because of side-effects, lidocaine proved ineffective. The efficacy of mexiletine is therefore at least equal to that of lidocaine and is maintained after the switch to oral administration.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005117:Cardiac Complexes, Premature / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008801:Mexiletine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D011437:Propylamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011437:Propylamines; D008801:Mexiletine
vernacular_title: Traitement par la mexilétine des extrasystoles ventriculaires de la phase aiguë de l'infarctus du myocarde.