No abstract

Summary:Previous reports have stated that pirmenol is a Class IA antiarrhythmic drug that prolongs the QT interval, but did not use computerized electrocardiography. We randomized 18 patients with frequent ventricular ectopic depolarizations to pirmenol (8 patients) or quinidine (10 paticnts). Pirmenol was effective and tolerated for suppression of arrhythmia in all 7 patients treated (1 patient withdrew for personal reasons) but quinidine was effective and tolerated for 4 weeks in only 5 of 10 patients (p < 0 .OS) . Using computerized 12-lead electrocardiography. the mean change in PR interval from placebo to treatment was 5 & 18 ms for quinidine and 5 & 1 1 ms for pirmenol (p=NS). The mean change in QRS interval was 5 + 14 ms for quinidine and 10+5 ms for pirmenol (p=NS). The mean change in QT interval was 4 6 k 3 0 ms tor quinidine and 8+9 ms for pirmenol (p <0.01) and the mean change in JT interval was 41 _+36 ms for quinidine and -2+ 10 ms for pirmenol (p