An antiarrhythmic drug used to treat abnormally rapid heartbeat, as may occur after a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
It reduces the force of heart muscle contraction.
As a result, it may aggravate pre-existing heart failure.
Other possible side effects include dry mouth and constipation.
One of the ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUGS given by intravenous injection after myocardial infarction to restore supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias to normal, particularly when patients have not responded to lidocaine (lignocaine). It can impair the contractility of heart muscle and it does have an antimuscarinic e?ect (see ANTIMUSCARINE); consequently its administration has to be undertaken with care, especially in patients with GLAUCOMA or enlargement.
n. an *anti-arrhythmic drug used to treat supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Side-effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, difficulty in urination, and digestive upsets may occur.
ARRHYTHMIA is a variation in the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. Management of the condition requires accurate diagnosis of the type, and ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY is vital in this process (see HEART, DISEASES OF). Drug treatment is usually part of the management, and antiarrhythmic drugs can be divided clinically into those that act on supraventricular arrhythmias, those that act on both supraventricular and ventricular arrythmias, and those that act on ventricular arrythmias. Respective examples are VERAPAMIL, DISOPYRAMIDE and LIDOCAINE. This large group of drugs can also be classi?ed according to their effects on the electrical reactions of active myocardial cells. The many drugs available are described in the British National Formulary.... antiarrhythmic drugs
adj. describing a group of drugs used to correct irregularities in the heartbeat (see arrhythmia). They include *adenosine, *amiodarone, *verapamil, *disopyramide, *flecainide, and *lidocaine.... anti-arrhythmic
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