Flecainide indications and usage
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sheng Shi, M.D. [2]
Drug Interactions
In patients without structural heart disease, flecainide acetate is indicated for the prevention of
– paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias (PSVT), including atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia and other supraventricular tachycardia of unspecified mechanism associated with disabling symptoms
– paroxysmal atrial fibrillation/flutter (PAF) associated with disabling symptoms
Flecainide acetate is also indicated for the prevention of
– documented ventricular arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia (sustained VT), that in the judgment of the physician are life-threatening.
Use of flecainide acetate for the treatment of sustained VT, like other antiarrhythmic , should be initiated in the hospital. The use of flecainide acetate is not recommended in patients with less severe ventricular arrhythmia even if the patients are symptomatic.
Because of the proarrhythmic effects of flecainide acetate, its use should be reserved for patients in whom, in the opinion of the physician, the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks.
Flecainide acetate should not be used in patients with recent myocardial infarction. (See Boxed WARNINGS.)
Use of flecainide acetate in chronic atrial fibrillation has not been adequately studied and is not recommended. (See Boxed WARNINGS.)
As is the case for other antiarrhythmic agents, there is no evidence from controlled trials that the use of flecainide acetate favorably affects survival or the incidence of sudden death.[1]
References
- ↑ "FLECAINIDE ACETATE TABLET [APOTEX CORP.]". Retrieved 11 March 2014.