Quinidine sulphate is the first choice drug for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the horse, with high success rate in uncomplicated cases. However side effects caused by the quinidine protocol encouraged the researchers to find out an alternative drug. Flecainide acetate was found to be safe in treating atrial fibrillation in the horse. We administered flecainide to 4 horses affected by AF, that were considered ineligible for quinidine cardioversion because of disease chronicity. Flecainide was administrered by slow i.v. infusion (10 min) at the dose of 2 mg/kg bw and its plasma concentrations at the first sample time were within the range suggested by Ohmura et al. (2000) as required for the conversion to sinus rhythm (1.27±0.29 µg/ml compared to 1,303±0,566 µg/ml) in all 4 horses. No horses converted to sinus rhytm.
Treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation in the horse with flecainide: personal observation.
BIRETTONI, Francesco;PORCIELLO, Francesco;DELLA ROCCA, Giorgia;DI SALVO, Alessandra;
2007
Abstract
Quinidine sulphate is the first choice drug for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the horse, with high success rate in uncomplicated cases. However side effects caused by the quinidine protocol encouraged the researchers to find out an alternative drug. Flecainide acetate was found to be safe in treating atrial fibrillation in the horse. We administered flecainide to 4 horses affected by AF, that were considered ineligible for quinidine cardioversion because of disease chronicity. Flecainide was administrered by slow i.v. infusion (10 min) at the dose of 2 mg/kg bw and its plasma concentrations at the first sample time were within the range suggested by Ohmura et al. (2000) as required for the conversion to sinus rhythm (1.27±0.29 µg/ml compared to 1,303±0,566 µg/ml) in all 4 horses. No horses converted to sinus rhytm.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
