Adenosine or Verapamil for the Acute Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia?
Authors: Andrew C. Rankin, Brian A. McGovern
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1991)

Editorials15 March 1991Adenosine or Verapamil for the Acute Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia?Andrew C. Rankin, MD, Brian A. McGovern, MDAndrew C. Rankin, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Brian A. McGovern, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-114-6-513 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptAdenosine, an endogenous, rapidly metabolized, purine nucleoside, was approved recently by the Food and Drug Administration for intravenous use in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. It acts through extracellular adenosine receptors and causes transient slowing or block of atrioventricular nodal conduction (1, 2). This process results in the termination of most supraventricular tachycardias that use a re-entrant circuit that includes the atrioventricular node (2-5). Adenosine's duration of action in humans is typically less than 1 minute, because of rapid cellular uptake and enzymatic breakdown (6). This brevity of action is an advantage, because adverse effects should be correspondingly brief. Adenosine...References1. BelardinelliLindenBerne LJR. The cardiac effects of adenosine. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 1989;32:73-97. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. DiMarcoSellersBerneWestBelardinelli JTRGL. Adenosine: electrophysiologic effects and therapeutic use for terminating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Circulation. 1983;68:1254-63. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. DiMarcoSellersLermanGreenbergBerneBelardinelli JTBMRL. Diagnostic and therapeutic use of adenosine in patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1985;6:417-25. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. RankinOldroydChongRaeCobbe AKEAS. Value and limitations of adenosine in the diagnosis and treatment of narrow and broad complex tachycardias. Br Heart J. 1989;62:195-203. 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Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 02114 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAdenosine versus intravenous calcium channel antagonists for supraventricular tachycardiaArrhythmiasAdenosine versus intravenous calcium channel antagonists for the treatment of supraventricular tachycardia in adultsAdenosine versus intravenous calcium channel antagonists for the treatment of supraventricular tachycardia in adultsDiagnosis and Management of Arrhythmias in Children After Cardiac SurgeryPlacebo-controlled evaluations of propafenone for atrial tachyarrhythmiasParoxysmal supraventricular tachycardiasAdenosine is safe and effective in the emergency management of tachyarrhythmiasWhat’s new in cardiovascular drugs?Adenosine-induced Torsades de PointesClinical pharmacology and therapeutics.Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias 15 March 1991Volume 114, Issue 6Page: 513-515KeywordsAdenosineFood and Drug AdministrationNucleosidesParoxysmal supraventricular tachycardiaPurinesTachycardia Issue Published: 15 March 1991 PDF downloadLoading ...