Tocainide, an oral form of lidocaine, was employed in 120 patients with recurrent malignant ventricular arrhythmia refractory to conventional antiarrhythmic drugs. After discontinuation of all antiarrhythmic agents, patients underwent control studies including 48 hours of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring and maximal symptom-limited exercise testing. One hundred patients had frequent as well as repetitive ventricular premature beats whereas in 20 patients, because of infrequency of ectopic activity, invasive electrophysiologic studies were carried out to provoke a repetitive ventricular response. Tocainide therapy was begun at 1,200 mg daily and increased to 2,400 mg daily guided by drug efficacy and the occurrence of adverse effects. After 48 hours of treatment with a fixed dose, drug action was evaluated by repeat monitoring and exercise stress testing or electrophysiologic testing. Fifty-five patients (46 percent) responded to tocainide. The average daily dose of drug and peak blood levels were equivalent in responders and nonresponders. Adverse effects occurred in 42 patients (35 percent) and were primarily related to the central nervous system. Lidocaine predicted the response to tocainide in 78 percent of patients. Thirty-four patients were continued on long-term maintenance therapy. After an average follow-up period of 16 months (range 2 to 39), treatment with the drug was discontinued in nine patients. The remaining 25 patients have had no adverse effects and no recurrence of ventricular arrhythmia.