Prevention of Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia with Oral Bretylium Tosylate

  1. REX N. MACALPIN, M.D.;
  2. EDWIN G. ZALIS, M.D.; and
  3. CHARLES F. KIVOWITZ, M.D.
  1. Los Angeles, California

    Abstract

    A patient with coronary artery disease had at least 77 episodes of ventricular tachycardia over a 4-year period, all of which required electroconversion. The usual therapies, including atrial pacing, failed to prevent recurrences that were increasingly frequent. The initiation of therapy with bretylium tosylate abruptly terminated the recurrences of arrhythmia, and the patient has had no episodes for 20 months while taking 400 mg, by mouth, every 8 hr.

    Article and Author Information

    • ▸ From the Department of Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif.

    • Supported in part by training grant HE 05844, National Heart Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.

    • ▸ Requests for reprints should be addressed to Rex N. MacAlpin, M.D., Department of Medicine, University of California Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, Calif. 90024

    « Previous | Next Article »Table of Contents

    This Article

    1. Ann Intern Med June 1, 1970 vol. 72 no. 6 909-912
    1. » Abstract
    2. Full Text (PDF)
    3. References

    Rapid Responses

    1. Submit a response
    2. No responses published

    Current Issue

    1. February 2, 2010, 152 (3)
    1. Alert me to current issues