Inhibition of flecainide absorption by activated charcoal

Abstract

Intoxication by antiarrhythmic drugs is characterized by severe cardiac and other organ manifestations and may be lethal. Reports of accidental and suicidal intoxications with newer antiarrhythmic drugs such as flecainide are appearing more frequently because they are being prescribed more often. 1,2 Charcoal ingestion is generally accepted as a rational therapeutic measure in oral drug intoxications in an attempt to limit intestinal absorption. Because quantitative studies are not available, we studied the influence of activated charcoal on absorption and elimination of flecainide to draw conclusions for the therapy of flecainide intoxications.