Abstract
Class I antiarrhythmic drugs are sodium channel inhibitors that act by slowing myocardial conduction and, thus, interrupting or preventing reentrant arrhythmia. Due to proarrhythmic effects and the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia, class I antiarrhythmics should not be administered in patients with structural heart disease. Nevertheless, there remains a broad spectrum of arrhythmias--among the most common being atrial fibrillation--that can successfully be treated with class I antiarrhythmic drugs. This review gives an overview on the classification, antiarrhythmic mechanisms, indications, side effects, and application modes of class I antiarrhythmic drugs.
MeSH terms
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Administration, Oral
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Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / therapeutic use
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Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / adverse effects
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Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / classification*
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Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / therapeutic use*
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Arrhythmias, Cardiac / chemically induced
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Arrhythmias, Cardiac / drug therapy*
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Arrhythmias, Cardiac / mortality
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Atrial Fibrillation / drug therapy
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Atrial Fibrillation / mortality
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Contraindications
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Electrocardiography / drug effects
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Female
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Heart Failure / complications
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Heart Failure / drug therapy
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Humans
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Infusions, Intravenous
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Myocardial Infarction / complications
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Myocardial Infarction / drug therapy
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Pregnancy
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Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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Sodium Channel Blockers / adverse effects
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Sodium Channel Blockers / classification*
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Sodium Channel Blockers / therapeutic use*
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Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / drug therapy
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Tachycardia, Supraventricular / drug therapy
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Tachycardia, Ventricular / drug therapy
Substances
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Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
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Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
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Sodium Channel Blockers