Flecainide Acetate(fle ka’ nide)
Tambocor
PREGNANCY CATEGORY C
Drug Class
Antiarrhythmic
Therapeutic Actions
Indications
Prevention and treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia (not recommended for less severe ventricular arrhythmias)
Prevention of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or flutter (PAF) associated with symptoms and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias (PSVT), including atrioventricular nodal and atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia; other supraventricular tachycardias of unspecified mechanism with disabling symptoms in patients without structural heart disease
Contraindications and Cautions
Contraindicated with allergy to flecainide; heart failure; cardiogenic shock; cardiac conduction abnormalities (heart blocks of any kind, unless an artificial pacemaker is present to maintain heartbeat); MI; sick sinus syndrome; lactation, pregnancy.
Use cautiously with endocardial pacemaker (permanent or temporary—stimulus parameters may need to be increased); heart failure; hepatic or renal disease; potassium imbalance.
Available Forms
Tablets—50, 100, 150 mg
Dosages
Evaluation with close monitoring of cardiac response necessary for determining the correct dosage.
Adults
PSVT and PAF: Starting dose of 50 mg every 12 hr PO; may be increased in increments of 50 mg bid every 4 days until efficacy is achieved; maximum dose is 300 mg/day.
Sustained ventricular tachycardia: 100 mg every 12 hr PO. Increase in 50-mg increments twice a day every fourth day until efficacy is achieved. Maximum dose is 400 mg/day.
Transfer to flecainide: Allow at least 2–4 plasma half-lives to elapse after other antiarrhythmic drugs discontinued before starting flecainide. Consider hospitalization because withdrawal of a previous antiarrhythmic is likely to produce life-threatening arrhythmias.
Pediatric patients
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