title: [Clinical tolerance of oral loading with elevated doses of amiodarone in a group of patients with heart failure].
abstract: Amiodarone is a choice drug for the treatment of patients suffering from life-threatening hyperkinetic ventricular arrhythmias and depressed ventricular function. The drug is characterized by a remarkably long halflife and a delayed initial activity after oral administration of the usual loading levels. The aim of this study was to establish: -the clinical tolerance to elevated doses in patients with heart failure presenting complex, hyperkinetic ventricular arrhythmias; -the possibility to shorten hospitalization as a result of the oral loading; -whether this administration route would take less time to be efficacious. For this purpose, 30 patients with heart failure and complex, hyperkinetic ventricular arrhythmias were treated with 0.50 mg/kg body weight of amiodarone for three days and with 0.30 mg/kg on the 4th and 5th days, followed by a maintenance period of treatment with 200-400 mg daily. All patients underwent a 24-h Holter test before and after administration and an echocardiographic examination showing an average ejection fraction of approximately 30%. Amiodarone was clinically well tolerated; only 2 patients required discontinuation of therapy whereas, among the the remaining 28 patients, 2 cases of transient hypotension and 3 cases of gastroenteric disorders were observed. It was concluded that elevated doses of amiodarone were well tolerated, which allowed to reduce the loading period and, therefore, hospitalization.
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliera S. Giovanni di Dio-Agrigento Cardiologia e U.T.I.C.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caramanno
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Innocente
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Giovanna
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone
vernacular_title: Tolleranza clinica del carico orale, con dosi elevate di amiodarone, in un gruppo di pazienti con scompenso cardiaco.