Frequency Of Premature Atrial Contractions Research Articles

Effect of sotalol on clinical arrhythmias

Sotalol (MJ 1999) was administered to 20 patients for the treatment of 22 episodes of supraventricular and 6 episodes of ventricular arrhythmias. The dose range was 9 to 50 mg intravenously and 20 to 80 mg orally given every 6 hours. In 4 of 6 patients supraventricular tachycardia was converted to normal sinus rhythm. In 4 with episodic supraventricular tachycardia, Sotalol prevented further recurrences in all. In 1 patient atrial flutter was converted to normal sinus rhythm. In 3 others with atrial flutter, and in 3 with atrial fibrillation, Sotalol slowed the ventricular response from an average rate of 125 to 72 beats/min. In 1 patient with episodic atrial fibrillation and another with episodic ventricular tachycardia, Sotalol prevented further recurrences. In 1 of 2 patients Sotalol decreased the frequency of premature atrial contractions; in 5 patients with premature ventricular contractions, it abolished them in 2 and reduced their frequency in the other 3. Side effects included transient hypotension in 3 patients and bradycardia sufficient to require reducing the dose of Sotalol in 4. It is concluded that Sotalol is a moderately effective antiarrhythmic drug which may be preferable to other beta adrenergic blocking agents because of its lack of substantial myocardial depressant effects.