Comparative evaluation of intravenous phenytoin, procainamide and practolol in the acute treatment of ventricular arrhythmias.

Ten patients with a persistent ventricular arrhythmia, but no other sign of heart disease, were studied by means of an exercise test performed 4 times with a fixed work load, over 30--40 min. No drug was given in the first exercise test and in the others phenytoin, procainamide or practolol were chosen at random for i.v. administration. Blood samples for determination of plasma concentration were frequently collected. The ECG was recorded continuously during the exercise test and was analysed minute by minute. Despite plasma levels within the suggested therapeutic range, only procainamide showed a statistically significant antiarrhythmic effect in this group of patients.