These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Oral antiarrhythmic agents for ventricular arrhythmias.
    Author: Meissner MD, Nestico PF, Morganroth J.
    Journal: Clin Ther; 1986; 8(6):595-604. PubMed ID: 3539346.
    Abstract:
    Ventricular tachyarrhythmia is the most common terminal event causing sudden cardiac death. Risk stratification using 24-hour Holter monitoring to identify ventricular ectopy and noninvasive techniques to detect abnormal left ventricular function is becoming routine. Many cardiologists treat patients with potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias even though it is unknown as yet whether sudden cardiac death can be prevented. Patients with lethal ventricular arrhythmias are always treated. A number of new oral antiarrhythmic agents have become available to the clinician. The modified Vaughan-Williams classification system categorizes the drugs according to their electrophysiologic and clinical characteristics. The class IC antiarrhythmic agents are emerging as the potential drugs of first choice for patients with benign or potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias. The betablockers (class II) are used as antiarrhythmic agents, particularly in the presence of active myocardial ischemia or high catecholamine levels and in the postmyocardial infarction patient. Amiodarone (class III) may cause serious side effects and is reserved for patients with lethal ventricular arrhythmias when all other available agents have failed.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]