Study of an anti-arrhythmic agent, disopyramide, in delayed action form (‘Ritmoforine’ Retard)

Summary

A study was carried out in 10 patients with ventricular dysrhythmias to determine serum levels and effectiveness of treatment with a new delayed-action formulation of disopyramide. Patients received 1 tablet (322.5 mg disopyramide phosphate) twice daily and were monitored constantly. A therapeutically effective level of 3 mg/l was achieved in most cases after 24 hours and in 8 out of the 10 patients the levels remained reasonably stable during the 4 days of observation. It is suggested that adjustment of dosage is advisable in patients with renal dysfunction or left heart failure. Although the new formulation provided a good alternative to the standard preparation of disopyramide, which is usually given on a 4-times daily regimen, it is recommended that the standard capsules should be used during the first 24 hours of treatment to ensure that effective blood levels are achieved rapidly.

Key Words::

• Disopyramide
• delayed action preparations
• arrhythmia