Antiarrhythmic drugs in the management of atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Antiarrhythmic drug therapy in the post-CAST era1 2 has undergone a period of uncertainty and re-evaluation. The role of antiarrhythmic drugs in the management of less serious arrhythmias has come into question. If an arrhythmia is not life-threatening it is paramount that it should not be made so through inappropriate treatment. This issue is particularly pertinent to the management of atrial fibrillation-the commonest of arrhythmias and one which in the absence of pre-excitation is not directly life-threatening. Yet the symptomatic limitations and morbidity imposed by atrial fibrillation are often severe and the need for effective and safe treatment is selfevident.