Oral disopyramide for the prevention of arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to open wards.

Patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to open wards of three hospitals were given either oral disopyramide (100 mg four times daily) or matching placebo, prophylactically, for seven days. The drug was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (p = 0-0025) and in incidence of extension of infarction (p = 0-01), ventricular fibrillation (p = 0-05), and ventricular tachycardia (p = 0-01). Disopyramide was not associated with any particular complication or side-effect. Unitl information is available to the contrary, oral disopyramide should be given for the first seven days after myocardial infarction to all patients not managed in an intensive-care unit.