The appropriate treatment for the restoration of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) of recent onset is still the subject of controversy. In this prospective, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, we investigated the effectiveness and safety of procainamide, propafenone, and amiodarone, administered intravenously, for the conversion of recent-onset AF. ...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent cardiac rhythm disturbance, with prevalence increasing with age. This disease is a major risk factor for ischaemic stroke. The costs resulting from atrial fibrillation are really impressive. Pharmacological agents are the first line therapy for the management of atrial fibrillation. Antiarrhythmic drugs are used to terminate arrhythmias, as ac...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of amiodarone and propafenone when used for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) and maintenance of normal sinus rhythm in patients with refractory AF. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, single-blind trial. SETTING Tertiary cardiac referral center. PATIENTS One hundred forty-six consecutive patients (72 men; mean age, 63 +/- 10 years ...

OBJECTIVE To study the influence of propafenone associated with propofol on myocardial contractility (dP/dt and heart rate), coronary flow, and the incidence of arrhythmia in isolated rat hearts. METHODS Forty albino rats were anesthetized with sulfuric ether, a modified Langendorff method was performed, and the rats were fed with Krebs-Henseleit (K-H) solution, (95% O2, 5% CO2, pH 7.4+/-0.1,...

The effects of the antiarrhythmic drug propafenone at c-type kv1.4 channels in Xenopus laevis oocytes were studied with the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. Defolliculated oocytes (stage V-VI) were injected with transcribed cRNAs of ferret Kv1.4 Delta N channels. During recording, oocytes were continuously perfused with control solution or propafenone. Propafenone decreased the currents d...

Propafenone is an antiarrhythmic agent with recognized cardiac myocyte repolarizing K+ current inhibitory effects. It has two known electropharmacologically active metabolites, 5-hydroxy- and N-depropylpropafenone, whose K+ current inhibitory effects are less thoroughly elucidated than those of the parent compound. This study characterizes and directly compares the pharmacologic interaction of ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological conversion of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) with a combined propafenone plus ibutilide regimen. METHODS AND RESULTS 100 consecutive patients (66 men, mean (SD) age 65 (10) years) with persistent AF (mean (SD) duration 99 (92) days) admitted for elective pharmacological cardioversion were randomly assigned to treatment w...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of amiodarone and propafenone in the conversion of chronic atrial fibrillation in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study. BACKGROUND The effectiveness of amiodarone and propafenone in the treatment of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation has not been adequately studied. METHODS One hundred one ...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias in the adult population. Propafenone is a class 1c antiarrhythmic agent that has an electrophysiologic profile suggesting that it might be potentially effective in recent-onset AF. The present study was undertaken, therefore, to examine the time course as well as the frequency of successful conversion in patients with recent...

Intoxication caused by propafenone is very rare, and there are no known detailed epidemiological studies. We present the clinical manifestation of severe propafenone intoxication,successfully treated in a 17 year-old male. He was brought to the Intensive Care Unit after he had taken 3.0 g propafenone. The main clinical findings included: sudden cardiac arrest, coma, hypotension, left ventricula...