title: [Efficacy of intravenous Acehytisine Hydrochloride versus propafenone on terminating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia: a double-blinded, randomized multi-center study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this double-blinded, randomized, parallel study, we investigated the clinical efficacy of intravenous Acehytisine Hydrochloride (AHH) and propafenone on terminating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (18 - 70 years old) with either spontaneous or induced sustained supraventricular tachycardia lasted at least 15 min were recruited in this study. Exclusion criteria included sick sinus syndrome, atrial ventricular block or intraventricular block, etc. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenously AHH (n=101) or propafenone (n=100) according to a proportion of 1:1 in a double-blinded manner. AHH (4 mg/kg, iv.) or propafenone (PRO, 1 mg/kg, iv.) was administered in 5 min followed by the same dose if no response was observed. Conversion times, vital signs, electrocardiograms were documented before and after drug administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Except for age, the demographic characteristics and clinical features were comparable between the two groups. Efficacy on PSVT termination was comparable between AHH (72/101, 71.3%) and PRO group (73/100, 73.0%, P=0.6368). The average time from drug administration to conversion was also similar [AHH: (9.62 +/- 8.39) min vs. PRO: (10.61 +/- 9.47) min, P=0.5035]. In the AHH group, 59/72 episodes of PSVT were terminated by the first dose, and 66/72 were terminated prematurely. The average AHH dose in the 72 converted patients was (273.7 +/- 111.2) mg. In the PRO group, 54/73 episodes of PSVT were terminated by the first dose. The electrocardiographic parameters, such as sinus recovery time, longest PP and RR interval, PR interval, QRS interval, QT interval after conversion were similar between the two groups. Transient adverse events were reported in 11/101 (10.9%) patients in the AHH group and in 18/100 (18.0%,) in the PRO group (P=0.1653).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the dosage used in the present study, the efficacy on terminating PSVT was comparable between AHH and PRO.
authors: Department of Emergency, Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100037, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Gao
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Zhu
authors: Yan-min
authors: YM
authors: Yang
authors: Jian-dong
authors: JD
authors: Li
authors: Zhi-min
authors: ZM
authors: Yang
authors: Jing-han
authors: JH
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011405:Propafenone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011405:Propafenone