[Effectiveness of ethacizin in ventricular arrhythmias refractory to prior anti-arrhythmia drug therapy].

Using Holter ECG monitoring, the efficiency of the new drug ethacizin was assessed on an individual basis in 48 patients with ventricular arrhythmias refractory to past treatments (group 1) and in 46 patients who responded to at least one of the available antiarrhythmic drugs (group 2). Ethacizin proved effective in 63% of first-group patients and in all second-group patients, with an overall response rate of 81%. The efficiency of ethacizin, ethmozin, and disopyramide was 100, 73 and 69%, respectively, in the same patients. It is suggested that separate assessments of new antiarrhythmic drugs are preferable in patients with treatment-resistant ventricular arrhythmias and those responding to at least one of the drugs available.