Procainamide Amiodarone

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with amiodarone, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol... 

Drugs with class lA action Quinidine is the class lA prototype. Other drugs with class lA actions include amiodarone, procainamide, and disopyramide. They affect both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. These drugs block 1 and therefore slow conduction velocity in the atria, Purkinje fibers, and ventricular cells. The reduction in ventricular conduction results in increased QRS duration in the ECG. In addition, these drugs block Therefore, they increase action potential (AP) duration and the effective refractory period (ERP) in ad-... 

If polymorphic QRS complexes and normal QT interval, administer beta blockers, lidocaine, amiodarone, procainamide, or sotalol (follow ACLS protocol) if drug is unsuccessful, cardioversion. 

Concurrent use of the fluoroquinolones with theophylline causes an increase in serum theophylline levels. When used concurrently with cimetidine, the cimetidine may interfere with the elimination of the fluoroquinolones. Use of the fluoroquinolones with an oral anticoagulant may cause an increase in the effects of the oral coagulant. Administration of the fluoroquinolones with antacids, iron salts, or zinc will decrease absorption of the fluoroquinolones. There is a risk of seizures if fluoroquinolones are given with the NSAIDs. There is a risk of severe cardiac arrhythmias when the fluoroquinolones gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin are administered with drains that increase the QT interval (eg, quini-dine, procainamide, amiodarone, and sotalol). 

Abciximab, aminophylline, amiodarone, amrinone, aspirin, carbamazepine, chlorpromazine, danazol, diltiazem, eptifi-batide, heparin, histamine2-receptor antagonists, low molecular weight heparins, methyldopa, milrinone, procainamide, quinidine, quinine, NSAIDs, thiazide diuretics, ticlopidine, tirofiban, and valproic acid... 

Patients with mild or no symptoms can be treated initially with antiarrhythmic drugs. IV amiodarone is now recommended as first-line therapy in this situation. Procainamide or lidocaine given IV is a suitable alternative. Synchronized DCC should be delivered if the patient s status deteriorates, VT degenerates to VF, or drug therapy fails. 

For the treatment of hemodynamically stable ventricular tachycardia in children, procainamide (loading dose of 15 mg/kg IV infused over 30 to 60 minutes) may be considered as an alternative agent to amiodarone. 

Drugs that may affect procainamide include amiodarone, anticholinergics, antiarrhythmics, beta-blockers, ethanol, histamine H2antagonists, propranolol,... 

Drugs that may affect amiodarone include hydantoins, cholestyramine, fluoroquinolones, rifamycins, ritonavir, and cimetidine. Drugs that may be affected by amiodarone include anticoagulants, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, cyclosporine, dextromethorphan, digoxin, disopyramide, fentanyl, flecainide, hydantoins, lidocaine, methotrexate, procainamide, quinidine, and theophylline. Drug/Lab test interactions Amiodarone alters the results of thyroid function tests, causing an increase in serum T4 and serum reverse T3 levels and a decline in... 

Congenital or acquired QTprolongation Patients with congenital QT prolongation and those taking Class lA (eg, quinidine, procainamide) or Class III (eg, amiodarone, sotalol) antiarrhythmic medications should avoid using vardenafil. 

Uses Rapid conversion of AF/artmal fluto Action Class III antiarrhythmic Dose Adults >60 kg. 0.01 mg/kg (max 1 mg) IV inf over 10 min may repeat x 1 <60 kg Use 0.01 mg/kg (ECC 2005 D/C cardioversion preferred) Caution [C, -] Contra w/ class I/III antiarrhythmics (Table VI-7) QTc >440 ms Disp Inj SE Arrhythmias, HA Interactions t Refractory effects W7 amiodarone, disopyra-mide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol t QT int val W7 antihistamines, antidepressants, erythromycin, phenothiazines, TCAs EMS Use antihistamines w/ caution, may T QT interval OD May cause increased repolarization leading to arrhythmias, bradycardia, hypotension leading to cardiac arrest symptomatic and supportive... 

Cardiovascular Acetyldigosin, ajmaline, amiodarone, aprindine, bepridil, bezaflbrate, captopril, dinepazide, clopidogrel, coumarins, diazoxide, digoxin, dipyridamole, disopyramide, doxazosin, enalapril, flurbiprofen, fur-oxemide, hydralazine, lisinopril methyldopa, metolazone, nifedipine, phenindione, procainamide, propanolol, propafenone, quinidine, ramapril, spironolactone, thiazide diuretics, ticlopidine, vesnarinone... 

According to recent ACC/AHA/ESC Guidelines (see Zipes et al., 2006), in patients with sutained VT, direct-current cardioversion is appropriate and most effective, and also intravenous procainamide (or ajmaline in some European countries) is recommended as a reasonable choice for initial treatment for sustained monomorphic VT in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Intravenous amiodarone or lidocaine may be reasonable chose as alternative treatment. 

Contraindications Concurrent use of amiodarone, quinidine, procainamide, or so-talol history of prolonged QTc interval hypersensitivity to fluoroquinolones uncorrected electrolyte disorders (such as hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia)... 

Classes I, III, and IV all involve transmembrane ion channels Classes I and III involve Na+ channels. Class I compounds are designed to block cardiac Na channels in a voltage-dependent manner, similar to local anesthetics. Not surprisingly, many of these Class I agents are either local anesthetics or are structurally based on local anesthetics. Class I compounds include procainamide (7.15), disopyramide (7.16), amiodarone (7.17), lido-caine (7.5), tocainide (7.18), mexiletine (7.19), and flecainide (7.20). The majority of these compounds possess two or three of the fundamental structural building blocks found within local anesthetics. Propranolol (7.21) is the prototypic Class II agent. Class III compounds include molecules that block outward K channels, such as sotalol (7.22) and dofetilide (7.23), and molecules that enhance an inward Na current, such as... 

Procainamide is effective against most atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. However, many clinicians attempt to avoid long-term therapy because of the requirement for frequent dosing and the common occurrence of lupus-related effects. Procainamide is the drug of second or third choice (after lidocaine or amiodarone) in most coronary care units for the treatment of sustained ventricular arrhythmias associated with acute myocardial infarction. 

Procainamide (Pronestyl, Pronestyl SR, Procanbid) [Antiarrhythmic] WARNING Only use in life-treating arrhythmias hematologic tox can be severe Uses Supraventricular/ventricular arrhythmias Action Class 1A antiarrhythmic (Table VI-7) Dose Adults. Recurrent VF/pulseless VT 20 mg/min slow IV inf to a max of 17 mg/kg or until QRS T by 50% or dysrhythmia resolves Maint inf 4 mg/min (mix 1 gm in 250 mL NS to make 4 mg/mL use 60 gtt set—60 gtt/min = 4 mg) Peds. Loading dose 15-50 mg/kg IV/IO Caution [C, +] Contra Complete heart block, 2nd- or 3rd-degree heart block w/o pacemaker, torsades de pointes, SLE Disp Tabs caps 250, 500 mg SR tabs 500, 750, 1000 mg inj 100, 500 mg/mL SE 1 BP, lupus-like synd, GI upset, taste perversion, arrhythmias, tach, heart block, angioneurotic edema, blood dyscrasias Interactions T Effects W/ acetazolamide, amiodarone, cimetidine, ranitidine, trimethoprim T effects OF anticholinergics, antihypertensives i effects W/ procaine, EtOH EMS Monitor BP and ECG use caution to prevent rapid... 

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials in patients with newly detected AF identified a number of antiarrhythmic drugs for which there was statistically significant evidence of benefit (I). In a limited number of comparative studies, flecainide was more effective than propafenone and procainamide, propafenone was superior to amiodarone, amiodarone was superior to quinidine, and quinidine was superior to sotalol. 

More effective than procainamide, sotalol, propafenone, and amiodarone (43-47). 

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