There is a need for effective, well-tolerated antiarrhythmic agents, particularly those effective by both intravenous and oral routes. @entity11959 , a new antiarrhythmic drug with such properties, was given long-term orally to 24 @entity1 controlled initially with intravenous therapy--19 with frequent (greater than 1/min) complex @entity1540 ( @entity1540 ) on a baseline 24-hour Holter monitor and five with ongoing sustained @entity1165 ( @entity1165 ) or frequent paroxysmal sustained @entity1165 , for a mean of 13 months (range 0.03 to 39.4 months). Long-term @entity11959 was given in divided doses of 200 to 800 mg/day (median 260, mean 269 +/- 90 mg/day). Response to long-term @entity11959 therapy was assessed at a mean of both 26 days and 12.2 months. Frequency of @entity1540 on baseline averaged 13,490/24 hours (median 10,578, range 2,115 to 61,716); couplets averaged 309/24 hours (median 166, range 0 to 5,686), and runs averaged 33/24 hours (median 30, range 0 to 2,951). Median frequency of @entity1540 decreased by 94% (p much less than 0.001) and 97% (p less than 0.01) at the first and second @entity11959 efficacy assessments, respectively. Couplets decreased by a median of 99% (p much less than 0.001) and 100% (p less than 0.005) at the first and second assessments, respectively. Runs were suppressed by a median of 100% at both evaluations (p much less than 0.001). Only three (16%) of the @entity1 with complex @entity1540 failed to respond to therapy. No recurrence during @entity11959 has been noted in the five @entity1 with ongoing sustained @entity1165 or recurrent episodes of @entity1165 .(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Initial and long-term outpatient experience with XXXX for suppression of malignant and potentially malignant ventricular arrhythmias.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1165 :: ('MESH:D017180', 'Disease') :: ['VT', 'ventricular tachycardia'] @entity11959 :: ('MESH:C015970', 'Chemical') :: ['Lorcainide', 'lorcainide'] @entity1540 :: ('MESH:D018879', 'Disease') :: ['premature ventricular complexes', 'PVCs']
@entity11959 :: (MESH:C015970,Chemical) :: ['lorcainide']
