title: Flecainide: Current status and perspectives in arrhythmia management.
abstract: Flecainide acetate is a class IC antiarrhythmic agent and its clinical efficacy has been confirmed by the results of several clinical trials. Nowadays, flecainide is recommended as one of the first line therapies for pharmacological conversion as well as maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation and/or supraventricular tachycardias. Based on the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial study results, flecainide is not recommended in patients with structural heart disease due to high proarrhythmic risk. Recent data support the role of flecainide in preventing ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia associated both with ryanodine receptor and calsequestrin mutations. We herein review the current clinical data related to flecainide use in clinical practice and some concerns about its role in the management of patients with coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: George K Andrikopoulos, Sokratis Pastromas, Stylianos Tzeis, Department of Cardiology, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, 11526 Attica, Greece.
authors.forename: George K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Andrikopoulos
authors.affiliation: George K Andrikopoulos, Sokratis Pastromas, Stylianos Tzeis, Department of Cardiology, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, 11526 Attica, Greece.
authors.forename: Sokratis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pastromas
authors.affiliation: George K Andrikopoulos, Sokratis Pastromas, Stylianos Tzeis, Department of Cardiology, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, 11526 Attica, Greece.
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tzeis
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Class IC antiarrhythmic drugs; Flecainide; Proarrhythmia; Ventricular tachycardia