title: The electropharmacology of acute drug testing using pacemakers.
abstract: Acute drug testing in patients is useful to select prophylactic treatment for life-threatening or intractable tachycardias. This is generally done by induction of tachycardias with pacing. Acute studies that depend on temporary insertion of pacing electrodes do not determine efficacy in the same sense as longer term clinical drug trials because of the biased population referred for testing with pacemakers. However, the pharmacologic activity of compounds can be tested in terms of electrical functions such as conductivity and refractoriness not merely of the heart in general, but also of the arrhythmogenic focus. Such data can be directly applied to patients with similar arrhythmias, obviating the confusion often caused by interspecies and disease differences.
mesh_terms: D000120:Acecainide / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004285:Dogs; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011342:Procainamide / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000502:physiology; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000120:Acecainide; D011342:Procainamide