[An attempt to use cordarone in the treatment of rhythm disorders in patients with circulatory insufficiency].

Anti-arrhytmic activity of cordarone was studied in 68 patients with circulatory failure (CF) and heart rhythm disorders with the aid of the 48-hour monitoring of the ECG. Cordarone was administered after the maintenance therapy with digoxin (the mean concentration of digoxin in the plasma 1.38 +/- 0.09 ng/ml) at an average dose of 300 mg/day. Cordarone suppressed supraventricular premature heart beat by 80.2%, ventricular premature heart beat (VPHB) by 76.4%, group VPHB by 82.9% and runnings of ventricular tachycardia by 86.6%. Antiarrhythmic activity of cordarone was more remarkable at the early stages of CF. The concentration of digoxin in the plasma did not exceed the mean therapeutic one. Therefore, cordarone possesses a high antiarrhythmic activity, with its efficacy being significantly higher in patients with moderately pronounced CF. At the same time cordarone influences to a less measure the quality of ventricular rhythm disorders in patients with severe CF and apparently does not avert the cases of sudden death in such patients.