Oral propafenone in the suppression of chronic stable ventricular arrhythmias.

The efficacy of propafenone hydrochloride, a new antiarrhythmic agent, was evaluated in the treatment of chronic stable ventricular arrhythmias. Twenty-five patients who had suffered a myocardial infarction three months or longer before the trial were studied. All exhibited a minimum mean frequency of 30 ventricular ectopic beats per hour over at least two 24-hour Holter monitoring periods with the last recorded tape serving as a control. The mean decrease in ventricular ectopic activity with propafenone was 65.62 percent (p = less than 0.001). Side effects were infrequent, minimal, and of no clinical consequence. Oral propafenone was found to be an effective drug for reducing the level of chronic ventricular ectopy, as reflected by a short-term trial.