Quinidine dosage, with special reference to an oral loading dose schedule.

1 Plasma concentrations of quinidine were analyzed in 52 cardiac patients after different oral loading doses and during different maintenance dosage intervals using both conventional and sustained release preparations of quinidine. 2 The majority of patients reached therapeutic plasma concentrations in the order of 2--4 microgram/ml within 3 h after the loading dose of 600--800 mg of rapidly absorbed ordinary quinidine sulphate tablets and institution of maintenance therapy with sustained release tablets 1 h after the loading dose. 3 The dosage interval of 12 h during maintenance therapy with sustained release tablets gave as acceptable plasma drug fluctuations as an 8 h interval. 4 A large individual variation in plasma concentrations was noticed. Thus monitoring of therapy by plasma concentration analyses is desirable.