New Classification Of Antiarrhythmic Agents

Several new classes and subclasses have been added and previous classes have been renamed to include new drugs which have been introduced after 1975.

The updated classification (2018) is a bit too extensive and difficult for routine clinical use. Moreover this includes several subclasses in which no drug is available. Hence this is a futuristic classification hoping that drugs in those groups will become available later. Group VII contains drugs with upstream action and are not direct antiarrhythmic agents. If these redundant groups are removed, this classification can become much simpler. Of course, an updated classification is needed as several new drugs with different mechanisms of action have been introduced after the original classification in 1975. It may also be noted that some drugs like Flecainide comes in two groups. That problem was there earlier also as Amiodarone had all the classes of actions and Sotalol was both a beta blocker and a class III agent.