Table 2.
Acute antiarrhythmic therapy—first regimen
| Monotherapy (n = 80) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medication used | Route (IV) | IV starting dosage (mg/d) | IV maximum dosage (mg/d) | Route (PO) | PO starting dosage (mg/d) | PO maximum dosage (mg/d) | Other | Other starting dosage (mg/d) | Other starting dosage (mg/d) | Adequate SVT control | |
| Digoxin | 5 (6.3%) | 2 (40.0%) | 0.025 (0.02-0.03) | 0.025 (0.02-0.03 | 3 (75.0%) | 0.019 (0.012-0.024 | 0.023 (0.012-0.024) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3/5 (60.0%) |
| Esmolol | 7 (8.8%) | 7 (100%) | 144 (72-627.84) | 216 (72-627.84) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2/7 (28.6%) |
| Flecainide | 3 (3.8%) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3 (100%) | Not reported | Not reported | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3/3 (100%) |
| Propranolol | 62 (77.5%) | 3 (4.8%) | 1.0 (0.5-1.5) | 1.5 (1.0-2.0) | 58 (93.5%) | 3.96 (0.5-20) | 8 (0.9-24.96) | 1 (1.6%) | 0.96 | 0.96 | 45/62 (72.6%) |
| Sotalol | 3 (3.8%) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3 (100%) | 21 (5-27.75) | 21 (9-27.75) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3/3 (100%) |
| Adequate SVT control | 56 (70.0%) | ||||||||||
| Adverse events | 9 (11.3%) | ||||||||||
| Combination therapy (n = 21) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First medication | Medication route | Starting dosage (mg/d) | Maximum dosage (mg/d) | Second medication | Medication route | Starting dosage (mg/d) | Maximum dosage (mg/d) | Third medication | Medication route | Starting dosage (mg/d) | Maximum dosage (mg/d) |
| Digoxin | IV | 0.015 | 0.015 | Propranolol | PO | 2.2 | 2.2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | IV | 0.9 | 2.1 | Digoxin | IV | 0.03 | 0.03 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Amiodarone | IV | 10.08 | 14.4 | Esmolol | IV | 648 | 1944 | Flecainide | PO | 10 | 15 |
| Propranolol | IV | 0.9 | 1.5 | Flecainide | PO | 16 | 16 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Digoxin | IV | Not reported | Not reported | Propranolol | PO | 9 | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 16 | 24 | Flecainide | PO | Not reported | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Amiodarone | IV | 14.05 | 21.0816 | Propranolol | PO | 10 | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Amiodarone | IV | 7.2 | 21.6 | Esmolol | IV | 72 | 151.2 | Propafenone | PO | 60 | 60 |
| Propafenone | PO | Not reported | Not reported | Amiodarone | IV | 24.048 | 24.048 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 4 | 12 | Sotalol | Unspecified | Not reported | Not reported | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 8 | 16 | Propafenone | PO | 45 | 90 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | Not reported | Not reported | Sotalol | PO | Not reported | Not reported | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 2.4 | 6.4 | Esmolol | IV | 3.8448 | 3.8448 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Esmolol | IV | 72 | 504 | Propranolol | PO | 2.89 | 2.89 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Flecainide | PO | 12 | 12 | Propranolol | PO | 6 | 9.6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Esmolol | IV | 108 | 144 | Propranolol | IV | Not reported | Not reported | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Esmolol | IV | 446.4 | 1116 | Propranolol | IV | 1.55 | 2.3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 4.5 | 9 | Esmolol | IV | 64.8 | 64.8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 1.83 | 3.65 | Esmolol | IV | 144 | 648 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Propranolol | PO | 12.8 | 19.2 | Esmolol | IV | 72 | 576 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Procainamide | IV | Not reported | Not reported | Propranolol | PO | 12 | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Adequate SVT control | 12 (57.1%) | ||||||||||
| Adverse events | 0 (0.0%) | ||||||||||
Patients on combination therapy in whom adequate SVT control was not achieved are bolded. Dosages are reported as medians and ranges.
IV, intravenous route; n/a, not available; PO, oral route; SVT, supraventricular tachycardia.