Summary
The effect of procainamide (P) on left ventricular function as measured by the systolic time intervals (STI) was studied in 14 patients with primary myocardial disease. P, 7.5 mg/kg body weight, was given intravenously at a rate of 100 mg per minute. Administration of P produced a decrease in left ventricular performance as manifest by a significant prolongation of the pre-ejection period corrected for heart rate (PEPI) and an increase of the PEP to the left ventricular ejection time (LVET) ratio. The peak effect on PEPI and PEP/LVET occurred at 2 minutes after P administration (Δ PEPI + 14±1.9 ms,p<0.001, Δ PEP/LVET + 0.052±0.007,p<0.001) with values returning towards baseline by 60 min. In 6 of the patients P blood levels were measured simultaneously with the STI measurements. Changes in PEPI and PEP/LVET directly parallel changes of P blood levels. It is concluded that P given intravenously at the usual therapeutic doses decreases left ventricular performance in patients with primary myocardial disease. These changes in left ventricular performance directly parallel procainamide blood levels.
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Geleris, P., Boudoulas, H., Schaal, S.F. et al. Effect of procainamide on left ventricular performance in patients with primary myocardial disease. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 18, 311–314 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561387
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561387