indication

For the treatment of life-threatening dysrhythmias and sustained ventricular tachycardia.

pharmacology

Indecainide is a rarely used antidysrhythmic. Indecainide has local anesthetic activity and belongs to the membrane stabilizing (Class 1) group of antiarrhythmic agents; it has electrophysiologic effects characteristic of the IC class of antiarrhythmics.

mechanism of action

Indecainide acts on sodium channels on the neuronal cell membrane, limiting the spread of seizure activity and reducing seizure propagation. The antiarrhythmic actions are mediated through effects on sodium channels in Purkinje fibers.

toxicity

When given orally to either young adult rats or mice, the LD50 was 100 mg/kg. Symptoms of overdose include nausea and vomiting, convulsions, hypotension, bradycardia, syncope, extreme widening of the QRS complex, widening of the QT interval, widening of the PR interval, ventricular tachycardia, AV nodal block, asystole, bundle branch block, cardiac failure, and cardiac arrest.

absorption

Nearly complete following oral administration.