BACKGROUND: Propafenone is a new class Ic antiarrhythmic compound.This study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of propafenone by double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over comparison of propafenone and disopyramide in patients with stable ventricular ectopy. METHODS: All patients were included in the study if they had an average of at least 30 PVC/hr on a 24-hour Holter recordings. During the 1st 7 days, two placebo tablets(identical in apperance to the propafenone and the disopyramide tablets) were administrated in a double-blind manner(run-in period). Then 1st treatment period lasting 1 week with one verum and the other placebo, wish-out period of 3 day,2nd treatment period lasting 1 week with cross-over drugs were followed. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled. During the run-in period, VPCs were reduced to 18%, compared to the baseline data before the administration of placebo.During the treatment period,propafenone 600mg/day reduced VPCs by 43% and disopyramide 400mg/day reduced VPCs by -10% Propafenone was effective(80% or greater reduction of VPCs) in 7 of 20 patients. Disopyramide was not effective in all patients. Propafenone and disopyramide produced no significant change of paired VPCs and VT events. Propafenone had no effect on heart rate. It increased the PR interval(7.9%;p<0.01) and QRS interval(5.2%;p<0.01). The drug did not change QTc interval(-1.1%) significantly. There were no cardiovascular side effects. Propafenone produced nausea in one patient. Disopyramide produced dysuria in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Propafenone was more effective in controlling VPC than disopyramide, and there was no major limiting side effects.
Cross-Over Studies* ; Disopyramide* ; Dysuria ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Nausea ; Propafenone* ; Ventricular Premature Complexes*

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect on PVC with IV disopyramide injection in 23 patients with PVC. There were 6 male and 17 female patients with age from 16 to 71 years. Three patients of hypertension, two patients of atherosclerotic heart disease, one patient of myocardial infarction, one patient of mitral stenosis, one patient of cardiomyopathy, one patient of uremic heart, fourteen patients of fuctional PVC were studied. The dose of 100mg of disopyramide was given with IV injection repeatedly until PVC disappeared.(Total: 40 Times) EKG monitering was performed in all cases to reveal the following results while the patients were on the regimen. 1. PVC disappearance rate in 23 patients was 78.2%. Average disappearance time and average dose is 7 minutes, 70.5mg respectively. 2. EKG revealed no change in P-R interval and pulse rate but slight prolongation of QRS and QTc interval. 3. When repeated injection was performed, the effect against PVC was decreased. 4. Acute heart failure as complication of disopyramide was not developed in all patients. As a result of present study, we recommended IV disopyramide injection, when disappearance of PVC was required immediately and safely.
Cardiomyopathies ; Disopyramide* ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Myocardial Infarction

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; blood ; pharmacology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; Disopyramide ; blood ; Humans ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents/blood ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents/*pharmacology ; Blood Pressure/drug effects ; Cell Membrane/drug effects ; Disopyramide/blood ; Membrane Potentials/drug effects