Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study quinidine's utility in patients presenting with recurrent sustained VA and limited AAD options. \ BACKGROUND: Antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) options are often limited in patients with structural heart disease and recurrent ventricular arrhythmias (VA). Quinidine has an established role in rare arrhythmic syndromes, but its potential use in other difficult VA has not been assessed in the present era. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 37 patients who had in-hospital quinidine initiation after multiple other therapies failed for VA suppression at our tertiary referral center. Clinical data and outcomes were obtained from the medical record. RESULTS: Of 30 patients with in-hospital quantifiable VA episodes, quinidine reduced acute VA from a median of 3 episodes (interquartile range [IQR] 2 - 7.5) to 0 (IQR 0 - 0.5), during a median of 3 days before, and 4 days after quinidine initiation (P < 0.001). VA events decreased from a median of 10.5 episodes (IQR 5-15) to 0.5 episodes (IQR 0-4) after quinidine initiation in the 12 patients presenting with electrical storm (P = 0.004). Among the 24 patients discharged on quinidine, 13 patients (54.2%) had VA recurrence during a median of 138 days. Adverse effects in 9 of the 37 (24.3%) patients led to drug discontinuation, most commonly gastrointestinal (GI) intolerance. CONCLUSION: In patients with recurrent VA and structural heart disease who have limited treatment options, quinidine can be useful, particularly as a short-term therapy.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
