Clinical and electrophysiological observations with disopyramide in drug-resistant and recurrent symptomatic arrhythmias

S Afr Med J. 1978 Dec 23;54(26):1083-9.

Abstract

Seventeen patients with recurrent symptomatic arrhythmias were treated with oral disopyramide (DP). Fifteen of the 17 patients had received other currently conventional anti-arrhythmic therapy, to which only 1 patient responded, yet 13 of these 15 patients with resistant arrhythmias responded to DP. Electrophysiological studies were performed on 9 patients. The most impressive electrophysiological findings were the depressant effect of DP on ventricular automaticity and its action in slowing conduction through the His-Purkinje system (including the bundle branches) without depressing sino-atrial rate and atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction time. Retrograde ventriculo-atrial (VA) conduction was markedly prolonged in 4 patients with reciprocating supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), including 2 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. All 4 patients with reciprocating SVT appear to be cured of their arrhythmia, probably by this mechanism.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / drug therapy*
  • Depression, Chemical
  • Disopyramide / pharmacology
  • Disopyramide / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Resistance
  • Electrophysiology / methods
  • Female
  • Heart / physiopathology
  • Heart Rate / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pyridines / therapeutic use*
  • Syncope / drug therapy

Substances

  • Pyridines
  • Disopyramide