Effects of sotalol and d-sotalol on ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation induced by programmed electrical stimulation.

It is only in the last few years that the broad-spectrum antiarrhythmic properties of sotalol have become increasingly recognized. Racemic sotalol has potent beta-blocking and class III antiarrhythmic properties, and it has been reported that this drug is able to control supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Recently, several studies performed with the d-sotalol isomer, which is almost devoid of the beta-blocking effects compared to the racemate, suggest significant antiarrhythmic efficacy and good tolerance of the dextro-isomer. In this paper we review and discuss the effects of sotalol and d-sotalol in patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF) or cardiac arrest in whom VT or VF was induced by programmed electrical stimulation (PES).