Electrophysiologic effects of flecainide acetate in patients with sinus nodal dysfunction

Flecainide acetate (R818) is a new antiarrhythmic agent for oral and intravenous use; it has predominantly class I properties and a long plasma half-life. Electrophysiologic effects were evaluated in 11 patients with sinus nodal dysfunction before administration of flecainide acetate and 15 to 60 minutes after intravenous administration of 1.5 mg/kg body weight of flecainide acetate given over 15 minutes. In 8 of 11 patients with maximal sinus nodal recovery time increased after flecainide acetate. However, the mean maximal sinus nodal recovery time was not statistically significantly increased from 1,929 +/- 184 (mean +/- standard error of the mean [SEM]) to 2,770 +/- 500 ms (p less than 0.10). The corrected sinus nodal recovery time increased from 875 +/- 181 before to 1,727 +/- 507 ms after administration of flecainide acetate (p less than 0.05). The sinus cycle length and sinoatrial conduction time were not significantly changed. Flecainide acetate induced a marked prolongation of the H-V interval (from 41 +/- 3 to 52 +/- 4 mg [p less than 0.01]) as well as a significant increase in the A-H interval, QRS duration, and QT100 interval. The effective and functional refractory periods of the atria increased by 12% (p less than 0.01) and 11% (p less than 0.01), respectively. The atrioventricular (AV) nodal functional refractory period increased significantly by 7% (p less than 0.01), whereas the 9% prolongation of the effective refractory period was not statistically significant. No side effects were observed. It is concluded that flecainide acetate prolongs atrial and ventricular conduction and refractoriness, and thus appears to be a potent antiarrhythmic agent. However, the sinus nodal function is depressed, and thus caution is advised in the use of flecainide acetate in patients with sinus nodal dysfunction.