Series on pharmacology in practice. 2. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

The selection of appropriate antiarrhythmic drug therapy depends on a knowledge of the drugs available, their spectrum of action, their pharmacokinetics, and their major side effects. It is important to know how the pharmacokinetics of a drug vary with different disease states so that appropriate adjustments to dosage can be made. Drugs with similar actions can be assigned into groups, and five different groups can be identified. The commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs are reviewed, and some of the newer drugs are discussed.