Flecainide in Ventricular Arrhythmias: From Old Myths to New Perspectives

Carlo Lavalle; Sara Trivigno; Giampaolo Vetta; Michele Magnocavallo; Marco Valerio Mariani; Luca Santini; Giovanni Battista Forleo; Massimo Grimaldi; Roberto Badagliacca; Luigi Lanata; Renato Pietro Ricci

doi:10.3390/jcm10163696

Journal of Clinical Medicine (Aug 2021)

Flecainide in Ventricular Arrhythmias: From Old Myths to New Perspectives

Carlo Lavalle,
Sara Trivigno,
Giampaolo Vetta,
Michele Magnocavallo,
Marco Valerio Mariani,
Luca Santini,
Giovanni Battista Forleo,
Massimo Grimaldi,
Roberto Badagliacca,
Luigi Lanata,
Renato Pietro Ricci

Affiliations

Carlo Lavalle: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
Sara Trivigno: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giampaolo Vetta: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
Michele Magnocavallo: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
Marco Valerio Mariani: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
Luca Santini: Department of Cardiology, Ospedale GB Grassi, 00121 Ostia, Italy
Giovanni Battista Forleo: Department of Cardiology, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria “Luigi Sacco”, 20057 Milan, Italy
Massimo Grimaldi: Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Generale Regionale F. Miulli, Acquaviva delle Fonti, 70021 Bari, Italy
Roberto Badagliacca: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Anesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
Luigi Lanata: Medical Affairs Department, Dompé Farmaceutici SpA, 20057 Milan, Italy
Renato Pietro Ricci: Centro Cardio-Aritmologico, 00152 Rome, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10163696
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 16
p. 3696

Abstract

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Flecainide is an IC antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) that received in 1984 Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and subsequently for rhythm control of atrial fibrillation (AF). Currently, flecainide is mainly employed for sinus rhythm maintenance in AF and the treatment of idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (IVA) in absence of ischaemic and structural heart disease on the basis of CAST data. Recent studies enrolling patients with different structural heart diseases demonstrated good effectiveness and safety profile of flecainide. The purpose of this review is to assess current evidence for appropriate and safe use of flecainide, 30 years after CAST data, in the light of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools in the field of ischaemic and non-ischaemic heart disease.

Published in Journal of Clinical Medicine

ISSN: 2077-0383 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcm

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