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Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Pritchett, EL; Wilkinson, WE
Published in: Am J Cardiol
May 1, 1991

In a recent clinical trial, the class Ic antiarrhythmic drugs encainide and flecainide were found to be associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with new myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to assess whether an increased mortality risk also accompanied the use of these drugs to treat patients with supraventricular arrhythmias. Data were obtained from the respective pharmaceutical sponsors on the mortality observed with each drug in United States and foreign protocols enrolling patients with supraventricular arrhythmias. Mortality in the encainide population (343 patients) and the flecainide population (236 patients) was compared with that in a research arrhythmia clinic, the Duke population (154 patients). Nine deaths occurred in the combined encainide-flecainide population and 10 deaths occurred in the Duke population; the follow-up periods averaged 488 days and 1,285 days, respectively. The 6-year survival functions of these 2 populations, estimated by the Kaplan-Meier technique, did not differ significantly (p = 0.62). The hazard ratio for the combined encainide-flecainide population relative to the Duke population was estimated to be 0.6 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.2, 1.7. These descriptive comparisons did not demonstrate any excess mortality when flecainide and encainide were used in patients with supraventricular arrhythmias.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Am J Cardiol

DOI

ISSN

0002-9149

Publication Date

May 1, 1991

Volume

67

Issue

11

Start / End Page

976 / 980

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Tachycardia, Supraventricular
  • Survival Rate
  • North Carolina
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Flecainide
  • Female
 

Citation

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Pritchett, E. L., & Wilkinson, W. E. (1991). Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias. Am J Cardiol, 67(11), 976–980. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(91)90170-p
Pritchett, E. L., and W. E. Wilkinson. “Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias.Am J Cardiol 67, no. 11 (May 1, 1991): 976–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(91)90170-p.
Pritchett EL, Wilkinson WE. Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias. Am J Cardiol. 1991 May 1;67(11):976–80.
Pritchett, E. L., and W. E. Wilkinson. “Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias.Am J Cardiol, vol. 67, no. 11, May 1991, pp. 976–80. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/0002-9149(91)90170-p.
Pritchett EL, Wilkinson WE. Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias. Am J Cardiol. 1991 May 1;67(11):976–980.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Cardiol

DOI

ISSN

0002-9149

Publication Date

May 1, 1991

Volume

67

Issue

11

Start / End Page

976 / 980

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Tachycardia, Supraventricular
  • Survival Rate
  • North Carolina
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Flecainide
  • Female