Comparative clinical and electrophysiologic effects of adenosine and verapamil on termination of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

The efficacy and electrophysiologic effects of adenosine and verapamil in termination of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) were compared in 18 patients (age 18-48 years, mean 33 +/- 9 years) with recurrent sustained and inducible SVT. Ten patients had atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and 8 had atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia involving a retrograde accessory pathway (cycle length of SVT 280-360 msec; mean 315 +/- 20 msec). Each patient served as his own control. After induction of SVT, adenosine was administered first (6 mg i.v. bolus). If the tachycardia was not terminated, a bolus of 12 mg was given. Ten minutes later, verapamil (5 mg i.v. over 30 sec) was administered after reinduction of SVT. If the tachycardia was not terminated, a 5 mg dose was repeated every 5 minutes upto 20 mg. Adenosine terminated the SVT in 16 cases (6 mg - 7 patients, 12 mg - 9 patients). Verapamil was effective in 11 patients (5 mg - 6 patients, 10 mg - 4 patients, 15 mg - 1 patient, 20 mg - nil). The overall efficacy of adenosine (89%) was significantly greater than that of verapamil (61%; p < 0.05). Adenosine terminated the tachycardia more quickly than verapamil (mean 24 +/- 11 sec versus 142 +/- 40 sec; p < 0.01). Termination of tachycardia by both drugs was related to antegrade block of the atrioventricular node in all patients except one with AVNRT in whom adenosine blocked the retrograde fast pathway. Ventricular premature beats were seen transiently in 5 patients following adenosine. Transient side effects such as flushing, burning and chest pain were frequently observed with adenosine and correlated with the termination of tachycardia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)