Comparison of intravenous lorcainide with lidocaine for acute therapy of complex ventricular arrhythmias: results of a randomized study with crossover option

There is a need for effective, well tolerated, intravenous antiarrhythmic agents. The effects of lorcainide, a new class I antiarrhythmic agent, were compared with those of lidocaine in a randomized parallel study with cross-over option in 30 hospitalized patients with frequent (greater than 1/min) complex ventricular arrhythmias. Lorcainide loading dose was 2 mg/kg (at 2 mg/min) supplemented, if needed, with 100 mg in 1 hour; maintenance dose was 8 mg/h. Lidocaine loading dose was 1 mg/kg (at 25 mg/min) supplemented, if needed, with 50 mg in 2 minutes; maintenance dose was 2 or 3 mg/min (as needed). Arrhythmias were compared for 2 hours before and after drug loading. Initially responding patients (minimum of 70% arrhythmia suppression) were continued on maintenance therapy for 24 hours. Patients initially failing or with later arrhythmia escape crossed over to alternating therapy (seven to lidocaine, nine to lorcainide). The median frequency of premature ventricular complexes decreased by 76% after lidocaine (p less than 0.05) and by 93% after lorcainide (p less than 0.001); this difference approached significance (p = 0.06). More than 95% arrhythmia suppression was achieved by lorcainide in 47% of patients and by lidocaine in only 13% (p less than 0.05). Couplets decreased by a median of 100% after lorcainide and by 89% after lidocaine. Couplets were eliminated in 62% of the patients after lorcainide and in 27% after lidocaine (p = 0.06). There was 100% suppression of runs of premature beats in 11 patients after lorcainide and 99% suppression in 10 patients after lidocaine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)