SUPERIORITY OF IBUTILIDE (A NEW CLASS-III AGENT) OVER DL-SOTALOL IN CONVERTING ATRIAL-FLUTTER AND ATRIAL-FIBRILLATION

Objective-To compare the efficacy and safety of a single dose of ibuti lide, a new class III antiarrhythmic drug, with that of DL-sotalol in terminating chronic atrial fibrillation or flutter in haemodynamically stable patients, Design-Double blind, randomised study. Setting-43 Eu ropean hospitals. Patients-308 patients (mean age 60 years, 70% men, 4 8% with heart disease) with sustained atrial fibrillation (n = 251) or atrial flutter (n = 57) (duration three hours to 45 days) were random ised to three groups to receive a 10 minute infusion of 1 mg ibutilide (n = 99), 2 mg ibutilide (n = 106), or 1.5 mg/kg DL-sotalol (n = 103) . Infusion was discontinued at termination of the arrhythmia. Main out come measure-Successful conversion of atrial fibrillation or flutter, defined as termination of arrhythmia within one hour of treatment, Res ults-Both drugs were more effective against atrial flutter than agains t atrial fibrillation. ibutilide was superior to DL-sotalol for treati ng atrial flutter (70% and 56% v 19%), while the high dose of ibutilid e was more effective for treating atrial fibrillation than DL-sotalol (44% v 11%) and the lower dose of ibutilide (44% v 20%, p < 0.01), The mean (SD) time to arrhythmia termination was 13 (7) minutes with 2 mg ibutilide, 19 (15) minutes with 1 mg ibutilide, and 25 (17) minutes w ith DL-sotalol. In all patients, the duration of arrhythmia before tre atment was a predictor of arrhythmia termination, although this was le ss obvious in the group that received 2 mg ibutilide, This dose conver ted almost 48% of atrial fibrillation that was present for more than 3 0 days. Concomitant use of digitalis or nifedipine and prolongation of the QTc interval were not predictive of arrhythmia termination. Brady cardia (6.5%) and hypotension (3.7%) were more common side effects wit h. DL-sotalol. Of 211. patients given ibutilide, two (0.9%) who receiv ed the higher dose developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, one of whom required direct current cardioversion. Conclusion-Ibutilide (g iven in 1 or 2 mg doses over 10 minutes) is highly effective for rapid ly terminating persistent atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. This new class III drug, under monitored conditions, is a potential alterna tive to currently available cardioversion options.