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The Effect of Propranolol and Verapamil on External Pacing Threshold: A Placebo‐Controlled Study
Author(s) -
FALK RODNEY H.,
KNOWLTON ANNE A.,
BATTINELLI NANCY J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1988.tb04993.x
Subject(s) - verapamil , medicine , propranolol , placebo , anesthesia , cardiac pacing , blocking (statistics) , cardiology , calcium , statistics , alternative medicine , mathematics , pathology
External transthoracic pacing is frequently used in situations where cardiac medications are administrated. In view of theoretical concerns of the effects of beta‐blocking and calcium channel blocking agents on pacing threshold, these agents were studied in six normal subjects over a 90 minute period during external cardiac pacing. Subjects received 10 mg propranolol, verapamil or identical placebo intravenously on 3 separate days in a double‐blinded trial with serial determination of pacing threshold. Neither placebo nor either active drug altered pacing threshold. It is concluded that propranolol and verapamil have no significant effect on the threshold required for external transthoracic pacing in normal subjects and concerns about a drug induced increase in threshold may be unfounded.