title: Intravenous antiarrhythmic therapy in the acute control of in-hospital destabilizing ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation.
abstract: Ventricular tachycardia, which causes hemodynamic instability, and ventricular fibrillation do not occur frequently in any hospital. However, they usually occur in patients who have severe underlying cardiovascular disease such as myocardial ischemia/infarction or congestive heart failure, and they are associated with high mortality. Most of those deaths are due to an intractable arrhythmia, not suppressible with even the most potent antiarrhythmic drugs. Fortunately, during the last few years, our ability to suppress highly lethal ventricular arrhythmia has been enhanced by the approval of intravenous amiodarone. When used in appropriate patient populations, intravenous amiodarone has been successful in suppressing the most malignant arrhythmia, thus permitting aggressive and successful treatment of severe underlying cardiac conditions. This article reviews data on the use of parenteral antiarrhythmic drugs for the control of ventricular arrhythmia in patients in hospital, and will attempt to provide some guidance as to how these antiarrhythmic drugs may be used in specific patient populations to maximize their efficacy and safety. We will also make recommendations on the sequence of therapy for specific arrhythmias to optimize the chances of patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, Lankenau Hospital and Medical Research Center, Main Line Health System, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kowey
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Marinchak
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rials
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bharucha
mesh_terms: D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone