Definition

Noun: 1. A specific antiarrhythmic drug: Flecainide is a class Ic sodium channel blocker used to treat and prevent certain types of serious, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), such as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. It is typically prescribed when other treatments have failed, due to associated risks.

Usage

Flecainide is used as a prescribed medication for specific cardiac conditions. * The cardiologist prescribed flecainide to manage her persistent atrial fibrillation. * Flecainide therapy requires careful monitoring by a doctor.*

Advanced Usage

• "to be on flecainide": to be taking flecainide as a prescribed medication.
  • The patient has been on flecainide for six months with good rhythm control.
• "flecainide therapy/treatment": the use of flecainide as a medical treatment.
  • Initiating flecainide therapy requires a thorough assessment of the patient's cardiac history.

Variants and Related Words

• Tambocor (n): A common trade name for flecainide acetate.
  • The prescription was written for Tambocor, which contains flecainide.

Synonyms

• Antiarrhythmic (drug/agent): A general term for medications, including flecainide, used to treat irregular heartbeats.
  • Flecainide is a potent antiarrhythmic agent.

Important Notes (Not Idioms/Phrasal Verbs)

Given its nature as a specific pharmaceutical, flecainide is not used in idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs. Key usage notes include: * "drug of last resort": Flecainide is often described this way because it is used when other antiarrhythmic drugs are ineffective or not tolerated, due to its potential to cause serious side effects, including proarrhythmia (worsening of the heart rhythm). * "increases the risk": A critical aspect of its usage is that flecainide can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with structural heart disease, particularly following a heart attack. Its use is therefore contraindicated in such patients.

Noun

1. oral antiarrhythmic medication (trade name Tambocor) used as a last resort in treating arrhythmias; increases the risk of sudden death in heart attack patients