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Encainide: Its Electrophysiologic and Antiarrhythmic Effects, Pharmacokinetics, and Safety
Author(s) -
Tordjman Therese,
Estes N. A. Mark
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1002/j.1875-9114.1987.tb04042.x
Subject(s) - medicine , supraventricular arrhythmia , pharmacokinetics , cardiology , nausea , antiarrhythmic agent , heart failure , drug , anesthesia , heart disease , pharmacology , atrial fibrillation
Encainide is a class IC antiarrhythmic agent that has been under clinical investigation for the last decade. Laboratory and clinical studies have demonstrated it to be a potent suppressor of ventricular extrasystoles. It is effective in approximately one‐half of patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The preliminary experience in patients with supraventricular arrhythmias indicates that the drug is particularly effective in arrhythmias associated with an accessory pathway. Side effects most commonly include blurred vision, nausea, heart block, and proarrhythmic effects. The hemodynamic effects of oral encainide are insignificant in patients with well‐preserved left ventricular function. Despite minimal myocardial depression in patients with left ventricular dysfunction, there is the potential for worsening of heart failure. Encainide has a short half‐life of 3 hours, but has 2 active metabolites with longer half‐lives. No clinically significant drug interaction has been demonstrated with encainide therapy.