Bretylium tosylate as initial treatment for cardiopulmonary arrest: Randomized comparison with placebo

✍ Scribed by Richard M. Nowak; Timothy J. Bodnar; Steven Dronen; Gary Gentzkow; Michael C. Tomlanovich

• Book ID: 104312040
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 365 KB
• Volume: 10
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1097-6760
• DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(81)80306-x

✦ Synopsis

To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of intravenous bretylium tosylate as a first-line drug for patients in cardiopulmonary arrest, a randomized, doubleblind study was conducted, comparing bretylium with a normal saline placebo. Fifty-nine patients presenting to the emergency department with cardiopulmonary arrest due mainly to ventricular fibrillation or asystole initially received either bretylium (10 mg/kg) or placebo in a rapid intravenous bolus and were then otherwise treated according to standard American Heart Association guidelines. If ventricular fibrillation or asystole persisted, a second bolus of bretylium or normal saline was given after 20 minutes. Thirty-five percent of patients presenting with ventricular fibrillation or asystole who received bretylium were successfully resuscitated, whereas 6% of patients who received placebo survived (P < 0.05). These findings serve to suggest that the early use of bretylium tosylate in cardiopulmonary arrest improves survival.