CLINICAL USEFULLNESS OF POLYGRAPHIC TRACINGS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCES TO EVALUATION OF ANTIARRHYTHMIC AGENTS
Antiarrhythmic agents have recently become increasingly frequent in use and the untoward symptoms related to their side effects may be unavoidable at times. Effect of 2 drugs, Procainamide and Ajmalin, on cardiovascular system, therefore, was evaluted by non-invasively derived parameters. Forty patients with ischemic heart disease and/or myocardial disease (NYHA II in all) and 20 normal subjects were selected, and polygraphic recordings with phonocardiogram, carotid arteriogram, femoral arteriogram, electrocardiogram and Minnesota impedance cardiogram were simultaneously taken before and after 500 mgs of Procainamide and 50 mgs of Ajamlin give intravenously. Pre-ejection period, isometric icontraction time and ejection time/ pre-ejection period were significantly (P<0.01) deteriorated in Procainamide and in Ajmalin. Total mechanical systole, election time, electromechnical interval, systemic blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and peripheral resistance were variably changed. Since QRS duration and PR interval became prolonged, atrioventricular and intraventricular conduction delays may partly be related to the above-mentioned left ventricular dysfunctions. Ajmalin more derpessed mechanical as well as electrical disorder than Procainamide, which might be atributable to higher incidence of the side effects in Ajimalin. Some patients even developed left ventricular conduction delay (left bundle branch block) with reversed splitting of the second heart sound during Ajmalin infusion. No statistically significant difference in deviation of the parameters was found between patients and normal subjects.
