The disposition of tocainide was studied in 15 patients with renal dysfunction. In 9 with total renal failure, the plasma half-life ranged from 16.6 to 42.7 h and total plasma clearance from 35 to 94 ml/min. The longest half-lives were found in 1 patient with cirrhosis, 3 taking the enzyme inhibitor allopurinol, and 1 on cimetidine. The mean half-life in the remaining patients was 22.3 +/- 4.8 h (+/- SD). During a 4 h haemodialysis, the half-life in the 9 patients decreased to 8.5 +/- 4.6 h, which was calculated to correspond to removal of 25 +/- 14% of the drug from the body. In 6 patients with impaired renal function (creatinine clearance 10-55 ml/min) the tocainide half-life ranged from 13.2 to 22.0 h and total plasma clearance from 72 to 122 ml/min. One patient was taking allopurinol and 1 dihydralazine, and the mean half-life in the others was 19.2 +/- 4.0 h. The apparent volume of distribution was similar to that found previously in healthy subjects. The results suggest that tocainide elimination is predictably reduced in patients with renal disease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.