Procainamide
| Procainamide |
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| PROCAINAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE® FDA Package Insert |
| Indications and Usage |
| Dosage and Administration |
| Dosage Forms and Strengths |
| Contraindications |
| Warnings and Precautions |
| Adverse Reactions |
| Drug Interactions |
| Use in Specific Populations |
| Overdosage |
| Description |
| Clinical Pharmacology |
| Nonclinical Toxicology |
| Clinical Studies |
| How Supplied/Storage and Handling |
| Patient Counseling Information |
| Labels and Packages |
| Clinical Trials on Procainamide |
| ClinicalTrials.gov |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sheng Shi, M.D. [2]
For patient information about Procainamide, click here.
Synonyms / Brand Names: PROCAINAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE®
Overview
Procainamide (proe-KANE-a-mide) (INN, trade names Pronestyl®, Procan®, Procanbid®) is a pharmaceutical antiarrhythmic agent used for the medical treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, classified by the Vaughan Williams classification system as class Ia. Procanbid® will no longer be manufactured.1
It blocks open sodium (Na+) channels and prolongs the cardiac action potential (outward potassium (K+) currents may be blocked). This results in slowed conduction, and ultimately the decreased rate of rise of the action potential, which may result in widening of QRS on electrocardiogram (ECG). This drug is used for both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. For example, it can be used to convert new-onset atrial fibrillation, though it is suboptimal for this purpose.
Procainamide is administered intravenously or orally. When administered intravenously, a loading dose should first be given, though care should be taken not to cause hypotension. Procainamide's active metabolite is N-acetyl procainamide, which is excreted by the kidneys and the renal system.
Adverse effects include rash, myalgia, hypersensitivity reactions (fever, agranulocytosis), Drug-Induced Lupus Erythematosus (particularly in slow-acetylators), and proarrhythmic effects (e.g., torsades de pointes). Treatment with procainamide can cause antibody production against cellular components, accounting for the systemic lupus erythematosus-like adverse reactions.
Category
;Anilines;Sodium channel blockers;Antiarrhythmic agents;Cardiovascular Drugs
FDA Package Insert
PROCAINAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE injection, solution
Indications and Usage | Dosage and Administration | Dosage Forms and Strengths | Contraindications | Warnings and Precautions | Adverse Reactions | Drug Interactions | Use in Specific Populations | Overdosage | Description | Clinical Pharmacology | Nonclinical Toxicology | Clinical Studies | How Supplied/Storage and Handling | Patient Counseling Information | Labels and Packages
Mechanism of Action
It is a sodium channel blocker which blocks open sodium channels and prolongs the cardiac action potential (outward potassium (K+) currents may be blocked). This results in slowed conduction, and ultimately the decreased rate of rise of the action potential, which may result in widening of QRS on electrocardiogram.[1]