Does procaine amide suppress arrhythmias in patients with ventricular or auricular arrhythmias?
Procaine amide is an effective and relatively safe oral or intravenous treatment for ventricular arrhythmias, even in patients who have failed quinidine therapy.
Procaine amide, a new synthetic analogue of procaine, has marked antiarrythmic activity and is relatively stable in the body. It is effective when administered orally or intravenously, and has few toxic effects in therapeutic doses. The drug has been used successfully in the suppression of ventricular premature contractions and in the interruption of ventricular tachycardia. Some patients treated successfully with procaine amide had been given quinidine to the point of toxicity without affecting the aberrant rhythm. Procaine amide appears to be less effective in interrupting auricular than ventricular arrhythmias.
Kayden et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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