What is "amiodarone"

n. (context pharmaceutical drug English) A particular medicine used against arrhythmia.

n. an antiarrhythmic drug (trade name Cordarone) that has potentially fatal side effects and is used to control serious heart rhythm problems only when safer agents have been ineffective [syn: Cordarone]

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic medication used to treat a number of types of irregular heartbeats. Despite being used for both ventricular and atrial arrhythmias, in the US it is indicated only for the management of life-threatening recurrent ventricular fibrillation (VF) or hemodynamically-unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT) refractory to other antiarrhythmic agents, or in people intolerant of other agents used for these conditions.

Since it can frequently induce side-effects, including serious, life threateaning ones, it is used for arrhythmias that are difficult to treat otherwise when the expected benefit is thought to be worth the risk. It is a class III antiarrhythmic medication.

It was discovered as an antianginal agent in 1949 and subsequently first made in 1961. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.