Vernakalant. Too dangerous in atrial fibrillation

The usual aim of treatment for patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or recent-onset atrial fibrillation, including after cardiac surgery, is to slow the heart rate. Electrical and drug (amiodarone) cardioversion are other options. Vernakalant, an antiarrhythmic drug, has been authorised in the European Union for rapid reduction of recent-onset atrial fibrillation. It is only available in an injectable form. Vernakalant has not been compared in clinical trials with treatments slowing the heart rate, or with electrical cardioversion. The only available comparison with another antiarrhythmic agent is a clinical pharmacology study versus amiodarone, a slow-acting drug, based on the rate of cardioversion at 90 minutes in 240 patients. As expected, given the brief observation period, the rate was significantly higher with vernakalant (51.7% versus 5.2%). During clinical evaluation, 6 deaths occurred in the vernakalant groups versus none in the other groups (placebo or amiodarone). The main adverse effects of vernakalant are cardiac arrhythmias (ventricular arrhythmia, torsades de pointes, bradycardia) and severe hypotension. Altered taste, sneezing, paraesthesia, nausea and pruritus were frequent, and respiratory and neuropsychological effects were also reported. A trial in atrial flutter was interrupted when cases of cardiogenic shock occurred. Interactions are to be expected with drugs that prolong the QT interval, and also with drugs that lower the heart rate or the blood potassium concentration. In practice, it is better to continue to use amiodarone for drug cardioversion and to avoid using vernakalant.