Flecainide How and When: A Practical Guide in Supraventricular Arrhythmias

Abstract

Transcatheter ablation was increasingly and successfully used to treat symptomatic drug refractory patients affected by supraventricular arrhythmias. Antiarrhythmic drug treatment still plays a major role in patient management, alone or combined with non-pharmacological therapies. Flecainide is an IC antiarrhythmic drug approved in 1984 from the Food and Drug Administration for the suppression of sustained ventricular tachycardia and later for acute cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and for sinus rhythm maintenance. Currently, flecainide is mostly used for sinus rhythm maintenance in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients without structural cardiomyopathy although recent studies enrolling different patient populations have demonstrated a good effectiveness and safety profile. How should we interpret the results of the CAST after the latest evidence? Is it possible to expand the indications of flecainide, and therefore, its use? This review aims to highlight the main characteristics of flecainide, as well as its optimal clinical use, delineating drug indications and contraindications and appropriate monitoring, based on the most recent evidence.

Keywords: CAST; atrial fibrillation; flecainide; flecainide controlled-release; supraventricular arrhythmias.

Figure 2

Flowchart for administration of flecainide. * Loading oral dose of 200 mg is recommended if the weight is lower than 70 kg.

Figure 1

Current evidence on the use of flecainide. Structural heart disease is any abnormality, or defect, of the heart muscle or the heart valves.