EFFICACY AND TOLERABILITY OF PROPAFENONE AND VERAPAMIL IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL SUPRAVENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIAS

Efficacy and tolerability of propafenone (450 - 900 mg/day) and verapa mil (240 - 480 mg/day) were assessed in 74 patients with paroxysmal su praventricular tachycardias including 35 patients with atrioventricula r nodal reciprocal tachycardia and 39 patients with paroxysmal orthodr omic reciprocal tachycardia. Extracardiac and cardiac adverse affects were observed in 35 (47,3%) and 6 patients (12,5%) during therapy with propafenone and verapamil, respectively. Cessation of therapy due to adverse reactions was required in 2(2,7%) patients during treatment wi th propafenone and 2 (4,2%) patients during treatment with verapamil. Propafenone was effective in 30 (85,7%) and 28 (75,7%), verapamil - in 21 (72,4%) and 8 (47,1%) patients with atrioventricular nodal recipro cal and orthodromic reciprocal tachycardia, respectively. Patients who continued to take propafenone were followed-up up to 36 months. In at rioventricular nodal reciprocal tachycardia frequency of recurrent att acks decreased by 87% while 13 patients (54,2%) had no recurrences at all. In patients with paroxysmal orthodromic reciprocal tachycardia fr equency of attacks decreased by 81% and 14 patients (50%) had no attac ks during follow-up.