[Ambulatory treatment of heart rhythm disorders]

Partial suppression of symptomatic arrhythmias is feasible in most instances. Suitability of drugs for long-term treatment depends on their side effects, costs and action duration. Discrepancies between elimination half life and duration of action are described. Perhaps the most important shortcoming in long-term suppression of potentially dangerous arrhythmias is the short-lived action of most available drugs. In a once-daily regimen with allowance for occasional omission, a drug action duration of more than 48 hours is desirable. This applies only to perhexiline, nadolol, amiodarone, digitoxin, and digoxin in elderly patients.