[Propafenon therapy of arrhythmias in infancy and childhood (author's transl)]

Abstract

The therapeutic dose range of propafenon was studied in 28 infants and children aged 5 days to 15.2 years (mean 8.8 years) with the following cardiac arrhythmias: paroxysmal tachycardia (20) atrial flutter (5) ventricular extrasystoles (2) and junctional tachycardia (1). With the intravenous administration of the drug in a dosage of 1.03-3.2 mg/kg/d (mean 2.28 mg/kg/d) in patients less than 15 kg and of 0.71-2.06 mg/kg/d (mean 1.26 mg/kg/d) in patients more than 15 kg body weight arrhythmias abolished. In the same patients the oral dosage was 12.2-22.6 mg/kg/d (mean 16.03 mg/kg/d) and 7.2-16.6 (mean 11.12 mg/kg/d). After 10 to 14 days a therapeutic serum level above 150 ng/ml could be maintained by a reduced oral dosage of 5.7-13.3 mg/kg/d) mean 8.5 mg/kg/d) and 3.6-11.1 mg/kg/d (mean 6.33 mg/kg/d) respectively. There were no side effects except for transitory by elevated gamma-GT in 8 patients. During a follow-up period of 1 month to 2.2 years (mean 1.6 years) 20 patients had no more arrhythmias, in 7 the number of arrhythmic attacks was reduced, and in 1 therapy failed.