[A method of intensive therapy for atrial flutter]. / Variant intensivnoi terapii trepetaniia predserdii.

The authors propose a new stepwise method of intensive therapy of atrial flutter (AF) based on atrial transesophageal pacing (ATEP) the efficacy of which was raised by previous digitalization. Patients of group 1 (n = 25) were scheduled to have ATEP, in its inefficacy ATEP was to be followed by antiarrhythmic drugs and on-demand cardioversion. In patients of group 2 (n = 27) ATEP was preceded by digitalization. ATEP and antiarrhythmic chemotherapy resulted in restoration of the sinus rhythm in 48% of the cases, cardioversion was performed in 11 patients of group 1. In group 2 normal rhythm was reestablished in 88% of the patients, 2 patients experienced cardioversion. The proposed variant of treatment is advocated as an alternative to cardioversion.

[Clinical effectiveness of cordarone in combination with other anti-arrhythmia agents in refractory atrial fibrillation and adverse effects of the drugs]. / Klinicheskaia éffektivnost' kordarona v sochetanii s drugimi antiaritmicheskimi preparatami pri refrakternoi k terapii forme mertsaniia predserdii i pobochnye deistviia primeniaemykh lekarstv.

The study was undertaken to examine 105 patients with various circulatory diseases complicated by atrial fibrillation. Patients with refractory atrial fibrillation who had taken combined antiarrhythmic therapy were found to be more responsive to the combinations of cordarone + kinilentin (quinidine disulphate) and cordarone + ethacizin. The combinations of cordarone+digoxin and cordarone + finoptin were demonstrated to be less beneficial.

[Clinical effectiveness and potential hazards of combined kordaron and quinidine therapy of patients with atrial fibrillation]. / Klinicheskaia éffektivnost' i potentsial'nyi risk kombinirovannoi terapii kordaronom i khinidinom bol'nykh mertsiatel'noi aritmiei.

Clinical efficacy of and potential risk for complications from combined cordarone+quinidine treatment were studied in 52 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Out of 32 patients with a persistent pattern of the disease the sinus rhythm was recovered in 28 (87.5%) of the patients; out of 20 patients with paroxysmal pattern of AF resistant to routine anti-arrhythmic treatment, the sinus rhythm was recovered in 14 (70%) patients. Almost 50% Q-T prolongation was recorded in one patient with paroxysmal AF. Despite the withdrawal of the medication, 4 hours later ventricular tachycardia of the "pirouette" type arose that 2-3 minutes later was followed by ventricular fibrillation with clinical death. After effective electric defibrillation in the presence of lidocaine treatment ventricular fibrillation repeated 7 times. A total of 32 cardiac defibrillations were performed for 6 hours. The normalization of the Q-T interval was observed on the fourth day only. The patient was discharged from the hospital in a satisfactory condition.

[Clinical efficacy of combined therapy with verapamil and fast sodium channel blockers for refractory atrial fibrillation]. / Klinicheskaia éffektivnost' kombinirovannoi terapii refrakternoi k lecheniiu formy mertsaniia predserdii verapamilom i blokatorami bystrykh natrievykh kanalov.

A total of 70 patients aged 38-73 years who suffered from various circulatory disorders and refractory atrial fibrillation were examined. The majority of patients with refractory atrial fibrillation displayed normalized cardiac rhythm after the combined therapy with verapamil plus one of the fast sodium channel blockers (novocainamide, ethmozine, ethacizine, kinilentin). If the therapy failed, electric cardioversion was applied.