[Efficacy of procainamide in the treatment of refractory ventricular fibrillation: report of 4 cases and a review of the literature]. / Eficacia de procainamida en el tratamiento de la fibrilación ventricular refractaria: descripción de 4 casos clínicos y revisión de la literatura.

Ventricular fibrillation is the most common malignant arrhythmia, found in up to 55% of patients who go on to experience cardiac arrest. Only monophasic or biphasic defibrillation has been shown to be effective. The efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs is much lower and depends on how much time has elapsed since the onset of symptoms. In patients with persistent ventricular fibrillation refractory to shocks, treatment options are limited. We report 4 cases in which procainamide was administered at a dosage of 17 mg/kg in 1 minute. Heart rhythm was restored and pulse rate recovered in less than 3 minutes in all cases.

Eficacia de procainamida en el tratamiento de la fibrilación ventricular refractaria: descripción de 4 casos clínicos y revisión de la literatura / Efficacy of procainamide in the treatment of refractory ventricular fibrillation: report of 4 cases and a review of the literature

La fibrilación ventricular es la arritmia maligna másfrecuente en los pacientes con parada cardiaca. Hasta enel 55% de los pacientes que presentan una parada cardiacase documenta una fibrilación ventricular. El únicotratamiento efectivo comprobado es la desfibrilación yasea con desfribrilador monofásico o bifásico. Los antiarrítmicostienen una efectividad mucho menor y su efectividaddepende del tiempo transcurrido. En casos defibrilación ventricular incesante, refractaria a tratamientoresistente a las descargas, el manejo es limitado.A continuación se presentan 4 casos clínicos en los que seadministró procainamida a dosis de 17 mg/kg administradaen 1 minuto con restauración de ritmo efectivo yrecuperación de pulso en un tiempo inferior a 3 minutos(AU)

Ventricular fibrillation is the most common malignantarrhythmia, found in up to 55% of patients who go on toexperience cardiac arrest. Only monophasic or biphasicdefibrillation has been shown to be effective. Theefficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs is much lower anddepends on how much time has elapsed since the onsetof symptoms. In patients with persistent ventricularfibrillation refractory to shocks, treatment options arelimited. We report 4 cases in which procainamide wasadministered at a dosage of 17 mg/kg in 1 minute. Heartrhythm was restored and pulse rate recovered in lessthan 3 minutes in all cases(AU)