Flecainide versus quinidine: results of a multicenter trial.

In this multicenter trial, the efficacy and safety of flecainide, a new antiarrhythmic agent, were compared with those of quinidine, a standard antiarrhythmic agent in the United States. A randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled design was used. Flecainide was more effective than quinidine (p less than 0.0001) in reducing ventricular premature complexes, couplets and ventricular tachycardia. Flecainide continued to be effective in reducing ventricular arrhythmias during a 12-month follow-up period. The incidence of side effects was similar for the 2 drugs in both short- and long-term studies. Therefore, flecainide should be an excellent drug to use in treating patients with ventricular arrhythmias classified as either benign or potentially malignant.