title: Excellent long-term reproducibility of the electrophysiologic efficacy of quinidine in patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and Brugada syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quinidine is very effective in preventing the reinduction of sustained ventricular fibrillation (VF) during electrophysiologic study (EPS) in patients with idiopathic VF and Brugada syndrome. However, there are no data on the long-term reproducibility of this EP efficacy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine patients (seven males and two females, aged 21-72 years), who suffered from aborted cardiac arrest (n = 8) or recurrent syncope (n = 1) due to Brugada syndrome (n = 5) or idiopathic VF (n = 4), comprised the study. All patients had inducible sustained VF at baseline that was prevented by quinidine therapy and underwent another EPS on medication after 1.7-23.6 (9.8 +/- 6.8) years (>5 years in eight patients). Two patients underwent two late EPS on quinidine. The goal of repeat EPS on quinidine was to ensure persistent long-term drug efficacy (n = 6) or to elucidate the reason of syncopal episodes during therapy (n = 3). The EPS protocol significantly evolved over the years as it became more aggressive (more pacing sites and/or more ventricular extrastimuli). All nine patients tolerated the medication well and had no recurrent documented arrhythmic events during long-term follow-up (mean 15 +/- 7 years). No sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias could be induced in any patient during repeat late EPS. In six patients, a more aggressive stimulation protocol could be tested at repeat EPS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term reproducibility of the EP efficacy of quinidine in patients with idiopathic VF and Brugada syndrome is excellent. EP-guided quinidine therapy represents a valuable long-term alternative to ICD therapy in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel. bblhass@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Belhassen
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Viskin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011802:Quinidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D011802:Quinidine