Serial testing of drugs (STL) by means of programmed electric stimulation (PES) was implemented in 41 patients with relapsing monomorphic persisting ventricular tachycardia (S-KT) of varying aetiology and severity. To reduce underrating of the action of antiarrhythmics, milder criteria were used for evaluation of the short-term and long-term effectiveness of therapy. By STL a total of 137 drugs and their combinations were tested. S-KT was not induced by 60 of them (44%) and in 35 patients (85%). In the remaining 6 patients STL could not be completed because of non-adherence of the patients to the method or because of serious proarrhythmic action of therapy. In the course of long-term follow up (mean 21 months) in positive therapy an arrhythmic episode did not occur during the first year in any of the patients, in the course of two years it occurred in 14%, in three years in 29% and in the course of four years in 33% of the patients. Treatment preventing S-KT had to be abandoned because of serious side-effects in four patients. In all of these four patients later an arrhythmic episode developed. Long-term treatment with antiarrhythmics selected by means of STL by programmed stimulation is a rational approach to pharmacotherapy of serious ventricular arrhythmias. In cases leading to combined treatment with amiodarone and antiarrhythmics class I it would be, however, better in view of the high incidence of serious effects of this treatment to use implantation of a defibrillator.

Keywords: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents /therapeutic use/; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Female; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Recurrence; Tachycardia /drug therapy/