Selecting appropriate first-line antiarrhythmic agents: comparative pharmacological profiles

An understanding of the pharmacological issues presented here will help the physician treat arrhythmias in a manner that will meet the therapeutic goals of relieving clinical symptoms, reducing the risk of sudden death, and prevention of treatment-related adverse effects. Most of the issues presented here are qualitative. It usually is not necessary to memorize quantitative data, e.g., to know the exact clearance or exact volume of distribution of a drug in a given setting, but we do need to know qualitatively what kind of changes to expect and alter dosing or drug selection accordingly. Armed with this knowledge, we can more appropriately and safely treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias.