Lewis R V, McDevitt D G
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School.
Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1988 Sep;26(3):327-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1988.tb05284.x.
In eight patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, treatment with digoxin (plasma drug concentration 1.3 to 2.0 nmol l-1) was associated with a significantly higher incidence of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) (mean 22.8 h-1) than diltiazem 120 mg three times daily (mean 6.8 h-1) (P less than 0.05). Seven out of the eight patients showed an increase in numbers of VPBs recorded over 24 h during treatment with digoxin when compared with diltiazem. The clinical importance of these results is unclear, but atrial fibrillation and ischaemic heart disease frequently co-exist, and increases in ventricular ectopy may predispose to serious ventricular arrhythmias following myocardial infarction.