title: Effect of procainamide on left ventricular performance in patients with primary myocardial disease.
abstract: The effect of procainamide (P) on left ventricular function as measured by the systolic time intervals (STI) was studied in 14 patients with primary myocardial disease. P, 7.5 mg/kg body weight, was given intravenously at a rate of 100 mg per minute. Administration of P produced a decrease in left ventricular performance as manifest by a significant prolongation of the pre-ejection period corrected for heart rate (PEPI) and an increase of the PEP to the left ventricular ejection time (LVET) ratio. The peak effect on PEPI and PEP/LVET occurred at 2 minutes after P administration (delta PEPI + 14 +/- 1.9 ms, p < 0.001, delta PEP/LVET + 0.052 +/- 0.007, p < 0.001) with values returning towards baseline by 60 min. In 6 of the patients P blood levels were measured simultaneously with the STI measurements. Changes in PEPI and PEP/LVET directly parallel changes of P blood levels. It is concluded that P given intravenously at the usual therapeutic doses decreases left ventricular performance in patients with primary myocardial disease. These changes in left ventricular performance directly parallel procainamide blood levels.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011342:Procainamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011342:Procainamide