One of the earliest antiarrhythmic drugs developed, quinidine had a significant role in the treatment of many arrhythmias. After concerns for increased risk of ventricular arrhythmia and death with quinidine emerged, the use of quinidine fell dramatically in favor of newer antiarrhythmic medications. However, recent trials have generated renewed interest in the use of quinidine. In particular, quinidine appears to be safe and efficacious in combination with verapamil for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Quinidine has also been used successfully to treat idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, Brugada syndrome, and Short QT syndrome. Although it is one of the oldest drugs in our armamentarium, quinidine continues to have a role in modern cardiology.
Beth Israel Medical Center, University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY
Requests for reprints should be addressed to Felix Yang, MD, Beth Israel Medical Center Heart Institute, 350 East 17th Street, Baird Hall 5th Floor, New York, NY 10003
Funding: None.
Conflict of Interest: None of the authors have any conflicts of interest associated with the work presented in this manuscript.
Authorship: All authors had access to the data and played a role in writing this manuscript.
ABSTRACT
