Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40159403›Full record

ReviewEuropace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology2025

Practical compendium of antiarrhythmic drugs: a clinical consensus statement of the European Heart Rhythm Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

Jose L Merino, Juan Tamargo, Carina Blomström-Lundqvist, Giuseppe Boriani, Harry J G M Crijns, Dobromir Dobrev, Andreas Goette, Stefan H Hohnloser, Gerald V Naccarelli, James A Reiffel and 10 more

Erratum issuedAbstract readReviewConsensus Statement
In one paragraph

Review in Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 39 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Incidence and predictors of major arrhythmic events after myocarditis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Catheter ablation vs. anti-arrhythmic drug therapy for ventricular tachycardia in ischaemic heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Antiarrhythmic drugs for cardiac arrest with a shockable rhythm and their effect on outcomes: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2025
    Pooled it
  4. Comparison of the effectiveness and safety of dronedarone and amiodarone for preventing recurrence after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: an open-label randomized controlled trial.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Vernakalant: Wish you were here.Heart rhythm O2 · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Therapeutic Spp1 silencing in TREM2Nature cardiovascular research · 2026
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Observational
  16. Promising advances and remaining challenges in AI-driven QTc estimation.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation in patients with cancer-the 2025 European Heart Rhythm Association survey.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Jose L MerinoArrhythmia and Robotic Electrophysiology Unit, Cardiology Department, La Paz University Hospital, IdiPaz, Universidad Autonóma, P. Castellana, 261, Madrid 28046, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-1737-1903
Juan TamargoDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-7979-7758
Carina Blomström-LundqvistSchool of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-2806-3903
Giuseppe BorianiCardiology Division, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9820-4815
Harry J G M CrijnsDepartment of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1073-5337
Dobromir DobrevInstitute of Pharmacology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4612-117X
Andreas GoetteDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, St. Vincenz-Hospital, Paderborn, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8223-7209
Stefan H HohnloserDepartment of Cardiology Division of Clinical Electrophysiology J. W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt D 60590, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5030-3315
Gerald V NaccarelliHeart and Vascular Institute, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8196-4554
James A ReiffelDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5505-1866
Jacob Tfelt-HansenDepartment of Cardiology, The Heart Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-3895-9316
Marcel Martínez-CossianiArrhythmia and Robotic Electrophysiology Unit, Cardiology Department, La Paz University Hospital, Idipaz, Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-7870-9413
A John CammClinical Cardiology, City St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2536-2871
Jesus M Almendral GarroteArrhythmia Unit, Cardiology Department (CIEC), Hospital HM Monteprincipe, Madrid, Spain.
Beata ŚredniawaDepartment of Cardiology and Electrotherapy Medical University of Silesia, DMS in Zabrze, Katowice, Poland.
Piotr KułakowskiDepartment of Cardiology, Medical Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Grochowski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.
Irina SavelievaCardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, City St. George's University of London, London, UK.
Tatjana PotparaMedical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Bulent GorenekCardiology Department, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey.
Jose L ZamoranoCardiology Department, University Hospital Ramon y Cajal, CiberCV, Madrid, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The European Heart Rhythm Association Practical Compendium of Anti-arrhythmic Drugs (AADs) offers advice on these drugs, focusing on their clinical use and the global impact of cardiac arrhythmias. This document aims to provide practical instructions to clinicians in arrhythmia management through pharmacological strategies. The compendium highlights persistent challenges in arrhythmia treatment, including clinical constraints, procedural risks, and the complexity of certain arrhythmias. Notably, atrial fibrillation is highly prevalent, and the demand for invasive treatment often surpasses the capacity of existing healthcare systems. As a result, pharmacological management remains essential. This is particularly relevant for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices or channelopathies, where ablation is often not a suitable option. Anti-arrhythmic drugs play a pivotal role in these scenarios. The compendium introduces the ABC framework for AAD therapy: A (Appropriate therapy), for patients in whom AADs are the best therapeutic option; B (Backup therapy), as adjunctive treatment to invasive procedures, such as catheter ablation; and C (Complementary therapy), in combination with other therapies. The document provides detailed insights into the mechanisms of action, efficacy, safety profiles, and drug interactions of each class of AADs. Additionally, the compendium covers practical considerations, including initiation, combination strategies, monitoring, follow-up, special populations, and adverse effect management, with an emphasis on pro-arrhythmia risk mitigation. It also explores the integration of AADs with other therapeutic modalities, promoting a synergistic approach to optimize patient outcomes. In summary, this compendium serves as an indispensable resource for clinicians, offering practical advice and evidence-based insights to navigate the complexities of arrhythmia management effectively.

Indexed as

Anti-Arrhythmia AgentsArrhythmias, CardiacCardiologyHeart RateCatheter AblationEuropeHumansRisk FactorsTreatment OutcomeAnti-Arrhythmia AgentsAdverse drug reactionsAnti-arrhythmic drug combinationsAnti-arrhythmic drugsArrhythmiaAtrial fibrillationDrug interactionsMechanismsPharmacologyVentricular arrhythmias

Identifiers

PMID40159403
PMCPMC12367031

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.