Absence of antiarrhythmic effects of helium in patients with spontaneous premature ventricular beats at rest.

Six patients with spontaneously occurring arrhythmias were studied to assess the antiarrhythmic properties of helium. The patients were divided into two subgroups breathing air, helium-oxygen (heliox), and nitrogen-oxygen (nitrox) in an alternating sequence during successive 20-min periods under continuous ECG surveillance at rest. There were no significant reductions in spontaneously occurring premature ventricular beats while breathing heliox, compared to breathing air of nitrox. Alternating the breathing gases in this manner caused no change in plasma concentration of electrolytes or in activity of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase or lactic acid dehydrogenase. We conclude that helium does not affect spontaneously occurring chronic premature ventricular beats in conscious resting man when it is breathed for a period of up to 20 min.