Abstract
This report summarizes the results of a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, multicenter study which compared the antiarrhythmic activity and safety of oral disopyramide phosphate and oral quinidine sulfate. A total of 124 outpatients, whose pretreatment rates of ventricular and/or supraventricular arrhythmias were documented by ambulatory ECG recordings, were randomly assigned to receive either oral disopyramide or oral quinidine for the eight- week course of the study. Every two weeks, ten-hour ambulatory ECG record ings were obtained from each patient and blood was drawn to determine serum concentrations of assigned drug.
Ninety-six patients, 56 of 62 subjects randomized to disopyramide and 40 of 62 subjects randomized to quinidine, were able to complete the eight-week trial. Disopyramide and quinidine were found to be similar and highly effective in reducing ectopic activity. However, disopyramide was better tolerated. Twenty-two of the 62 patients randomized to quinidine discontinued therapy due to side effects, while only six of 62 randomized to disopyramide discon tinued therapy. The mean blood levels observed were 2.9 mcg/ml for diso pyramide and 2.5 mcg/ml for quinidine.
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