Electrical Conversion of Atrial Fibrillation

Immediate and Long-term Results and Selection of Patients

  1. JAMES J. MORRIS, JR., M.D.;
  2. ROBERT H. PETER, M.D.; and
  3. HENRY D. MCINTOSH, M.D., F.A.C.P.
  1. Requests for reprints should be addressed to James J. Morris, Jr., M.D., Cardiovascular Laboratory, Duke University Medical Center,
    Durham, N. C. 27706
    .

Excerpt

For many years the major therapeutic approach for reverting atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm has been through the use of quinidine. In 1962 Lown, Amarasingham, and Neuman (1) introducted direct-current shock as a method for terminating atrial fibrillation. This method has since proved to be a major advance over drug therapy in restoring atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. However, before the ultimate role of such therapy can be established, three major questions must be answered affirmatively:

1. Can the patient expect to experience significant physiologic improvement when sinus rhythm is restored?

2. Is this technique safe and effective?

3. Can

This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.

Summario in Interlingua

Le facilitate con que fibrillation atrial (FA) pote esser convertite per medio electric ad in rhythmo sinusal (RS) rende desirabile le formulation de criterios pro le selection del patientes. Le presente studio consiste de un analyse de quatro considerationes de signification relative al processo selectori. IIlos es (a) efficacia, (b) salvitate, (c) effectos hemodynamic, e (d) mantenentia del RS.

In un gruppo de 108 patientes, le reversion electric habeva (a) un efficacia de 95 pro cento e esseva (b) salve con un incidentia de complicationes revertibile de solmente 4 pro cento. Le occurentia de un melioration hemodynamic ha essite documentate in plure series de patientes studiate ante e post le conversion al RS. Iste melioration esseva demonstrate in stato de reposo e durante exercitio e post therapia de mantenentia a quinidina.

Le mantenentia del RS esseva evalutate in 100 patientes durante periodos de inter 8 e 20 menses. Observationes clinic, radiographic, electrocardiographic, e hemodynamic esseva evalutate como factores influentiatori. Le plus significatives inter illos con respecto al mantenentia del RS esseva le duration del FA, le etiologia, e le classe functional. Inter le casos in que FA habeva esseva presente durante plus que un anno, solmente 38 pro cento esseva in RS un anno post le conversion. Inter le casos in que FA habeva essite presente durante minus que un anno, 89 pro cento manteneva le RS. Inter le casos in que le etiologia de FA esseva ischemic morbo cardiac, rheumatic morbo multivalvular, stenosis mitral, o causas miscellanee 37, 38, 78, e 90 pro cento, respectivemente, se trovava in RS un annos post le conversion. Inter le casos del classes functional III e IV, ille proportion amontava a solmente 49 pro cento; inter le casos del classes I e II, illo amontava a 65 pro cento. Per consequente, un duration de plus que anno, le presentia de morbo ischemic o multivalvular, e pertinentia al classes functional III e IV esseva definite como "factores disfavorabile." Le recognition de iste factores disfavorabile es de valor prognostic. RS esseva mantenite durante un anno in 90 pro cento del patientes sin ulle del factores disfavorabile, in 78 pro cento del patientes con un tal factor, e in 38 pro cento del patientes con duo o tres tal factores.

Insimul con le quatro supra-listate considerationes, le sequente formulation es presentate. Indicationes: nulle o un factor disfavorabile, embolismo del circulation major, congestive insufficientia cardiac, e acute collapso cardiovascular. Contraindicationes relative: candidatura pro chirurgia cardiac, stato immediatemente post operation cardiac, FA con hyperthyroidismo, recente embolismo del circulation major, lente FA sin digitalis, intolerantia pro quinidina, e 2 o 3 factores disfavorabile. Contraindicationes absolute: intoxication per digitalis, FA con bloco atrioventricular complete, FA de recurrentia repetite, e angina alleviate per FA.

Article and Author Information

  • From the Cardiovascular Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N. C.

  • This study was supported in part by grants HE-07563 and H-4807, the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., and by grants-in-aid from the North Carolina Heart Association and the Council for Tobacco Research—U. S. A.

  • Dr. Morris was supported by a Special Fellowship and Dr. Peter by a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the U. S. Public Health Service, Washington, D. C., at the time of this work.

    • Received August 26, 1965.
    • Accepted April 13, 1966.
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