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The Effect of Amiodarone on the Ventricular Fibrillation Threshold
Author(s) -
Chen Bonnie P.,
White C. Michael,
Fan Chengde,
Kluger Jeffrey,
Chow Moses S. S.
Publication year - 1999
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 - 10.1592/phco.19.10.832.31564
Subject(s) - amiodarone , ventricular fibrillation , ventricle , cardiopulmonary resuscitation , medicine , placebo , anesthesia , cardiology , fibrillation , placebo group , resuscitation , atrial fibrillation , alternative medicine , pathology
We evaluated the antifibrillatory effect of two different doses of amiodarone after cardiac arrest with a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) model in 19 pigs. Ventricular fibrillation was induced by pacing the right ventricle using a primary drive train at a cycle length of 270 msec for 8 beats. The minimum current strength necessary to induce sustained ventricular fibrillation was defined as the ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) measured in mA. Three VFT determinations were made at baseline, followed by 9 minutes of continuous CPR with two determinations of VFT, and three after stabilization. The pigs were placed into one of three groups: amiodarone 2 or 5 mg/kg, or placebo. The average poststabilization VFT in each group was compared with the average baseline VFT. Pigs receiving amiodarone 2 mg/kg had significantly higher VFT after stabilization than at baseline (22.88 ± 12.76 to 27.10 ± 10.18 mA, p=0.048), as did those receiving 5 mg/kg (17.03 ± 7.01 to 28.08 ± 11.58 mA, p=0.002). The ΔVFT was significantly greater with amiodarone 5 mg/kg than with vehicle (placebo), but not with 2 mg/kg. There were no changes in VFT in any group during CPR versus baseline. When active treatments were combined, the trend was toward better survival in the amiodarone groups (13/13) compared with the placebo group (4/6, p=0.076).