[Choice of the anti-arrhythmia drug and antitachycardia pacemakers in persistent tachycardias].

In 57 patients with recurrent tachycardiac attacks in whom the empiric medical drug treatment failed to prevent the attacks electrophysiological examination was carried out in order to specify the type of the tachycardia. This was followed up by a serial testing of drugs. In 41 patients an antiarrhythmic drug (or a combination of drugs) was found which could prevent the attacks. The prospective follow up of these patients from 3 months up to 4 years revealed that in 36 of them there were no more tachycardiac attacks (90% efficacy). In 11 patients antitachycardia pacemakers were implanted with great efficiency. 9 of the patients had pacemaker type extinguishing and the other two patients had atrio-ventricular pacemaker by a double path in the AV-node. The selection of and antiarrhythmic drug by means of electrophysiological testing and the antitachycardia pacemakers are efficient means against recurrent tachycardias.