title: Electrophysiological predictors of propafenone efficacy in prevention of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant and atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of propafenone in prevention of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and orthodromic atrioventricular tachycardia (AVRT) based on the clinical results of arrhythmia recurrence and find the electrophysiological predictor of propafenone effectiveness.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 44 participants in a 12-month period, who were divided in two groups: group A - in which propafenone caused complete ventriculo-atrial block and group B - in which propafenone did not cause complete ventriculo-atrial block.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group A had significantly lower incidence of tachycardia than group B (95% vs 70.8%, P=0.038), and complete ventriculo-atrial block predicted the efficacy of propafenone oral therapy in the prevention of tachycardia (sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 52.8%, positive predictive value 95%, negative predictive value 29.2%). Patients with AVNRT in group B who did not experience the recurrences of tachycardia had significantly shorter echo zone before intravenous administration of propafenone than the patients who experienced episodes of sustained tachycardia (median 40 ms [range 15-60 ms] vs 79 ms [range 50-180 ms], P=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with non-inducible tachycardia, complete ventriculo-atrial block can be used as an electrophysiological predictor of the efficacy of propafenone oral therapy in the prevention of tachycardia. In patients with non-inducible AVNRT, but without complete ventriculo-atrial block, propafenone was more effective in patients with shorter echo zone of tachycardia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Vinogradska cesta 29, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia. hrvojepintaric@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hrvoje
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pintarić
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zeljković
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Babić
authors.forename: Mislav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrsalović
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavlović
authors.forename: Hrvojka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bosnjak
authors.forename: Dubravko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petrac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001283:Atrioventricular Node / Q000187:drug effects*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011405:Propafenone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D011405:Propafenone