[Experience in long-term use of allapinin in polyclinical practice]

The authors summed up the practical experience gained in long-term maintenance treatment with allapinine, a new Soviet antiarrhythmic agent, given to 65 patients with various cardiac arrhythmias in the outpatient setting. The long-term allapinine use yielded good results: its efficacy was proved to be approximately equal (63% and 60%) in patients with ventricular or supraventricular extrasystoles, respectively, but it was 77% in those with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. There were no decreases in antiarrhythmic activity of allapinine during its long-term therapy. The agent produced no significant effects on heart rate, blood pressure, and myocardial contractility. Its side effects were recorded in 17 (26.2%) patients, however, withdrawal of the agent was required only in 6 cases.