[Treatment of atrial fibrillation using intravenous infusion of quinidine].

Quinidine gluconate was administered slowly by intravenous infusion to 20 patients with atrial fibrillation. Nineteen of them had rheumatic heart disease and the other one had Ebstein's disease. The first ten patients received 0.027 mg/kg/min during 6 hs or less if they returned to normal sinus rhythm (SR). The other ten received 0.041 mg/kg/min with the same protocol. Plasma quinidine concentrations were determined in all patients. Atrial functional refractory period was measured in five of the patients returning to normal sinus rhythm. Six patients in the first group were returned to SR. The required time of infusion was 4.2 hs. The maximal quinidine plasma level was 1.91 ug/ml. In the Second group; five patients returned to normal sinus rhythm, four of them in a mean time of 4.75 hs ofinfusion and the other one spontaneously 11 hs after the infusion was finished. The maximal quinidine plasma level in this group was 4.7 ug/ml. Side effects were observed in five patients. Diarrhea in one, vomiting in one, hypotension in two atrial flutter with 1: 1 A-V conduction in one.