Ajmaline in the management of cardiac arrhythmias.

A review of world literature on ajamline has been attempted; almost two third of the work is available in the German language. Ajmaline was isolated from rauwolfia serpentina, by Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddilui, and named after Hakim Ajmal Khan who who has used products of rauwolfia as antihypertentive and cardiac sedative. Antiarrhythmic effects of ajmaline are due to depression of atrioventricular conduction with prolongation of P-Q, QRS and Q-T intervals. It increases the refractory period of the accessory pathway and lengthens the H-V interval in Wolff-ParkinsonsWhite syndrome and thus prevents associated tachycardias. Despite its origin from the Indian subcontinent, the drug is not in vogue in this part of the world.