Acute and chronic antiarrhythmic efficacy of d-sotalol in patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of d-sotalol, 84 patients with a history of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF), who had inducible sustained VT/VT at baseline electrophysiologic study (EPS), were investigated after intravenous (IV) d-sotalol (1.5-2.5 mg.kg-1). A total of 29 additional patients received only oral d-sotalol, (400-600 mg.day-1). Acute success of antiarrhythmic therapy was defined as suppression of inducible sustained VT/VF. The overall success rate of IV d-sotalol was 38% (32/84) after a mean of 4.3 drugs failed to suppress inducibility. A 78% success rate (31/40) was demonstrated in patients who were also assessed after oral d-sotalol. Torsade de pointes type VT was seen in one patient. After 1 year, only 16% of patients with a positive EPS had a recurrence compared to 43% of patients with a negative EPS (P < 0.05). Estimated survival rates were 95 and 88% after 1 and 2 years of follow-up, respectively. Only five of 56 patients discontinued d-sotalol therapy because of adverse effects. IV d-sotalol appears to be an effective antiarrhythmic agent. Its long-term efficacy is predictable on the basis of therapy guided by electrophysiologic testing in patients with refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The efficacy of d-sotalol seems comparable to that reported for d,l-sotalol.