PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Haggman, Dale L.
AU  - Maloney, James D.
AU  - Morant, Victor A.
AU  - Castle, Lon W.
AU  - King-Rankine, Marilyn
AU  - Goormastic, Marlene
TI  - Mexiletine therapy in patients with chronic drug-resistant malignant ventricular arrhythmias
DP  - 1986 Jun 20
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 171--179
VI  - 53
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/53/2/171.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/53/2/171.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med1986 Jun 20; 53
AB  - The authors report their overall experience with 138 patients receiving mexiletine for chronic drug-resistant ventricular arrhythmias. Of these 138 patients, 26 (19%) were "early failures" (that is, experiencing refractory arrhythmias or intolerant to therapy prior to initial hospital discharge) and an additional 22 patients (16%) were "late failures" (that is, experiencing refractory arrhythmias or intolerant to therapy after hospital discharge). Chronic oral maintenance therapy was successful for 90 patients (65%). Nine (7%) arrhythmia-related deaths occurred. Side effects were common (28% initially and 52% during chronic maintenance therapy), but discontinuation of the drug was only required for 9 patients (7%). No significant biochemical abnormalities or electrocardiographic conduction disturbances were observed. Mexiletine appears to be a clinically useful and safe antiarrhythmic agent for the treatment of chronic drug-resistant ventricular arrhythmias.