Atrial selective effect of amiodarone to increase threshold of excitation.

Increases of pacing threshold stimulation are well documented with different antiarrhythmic drugs, but not with amiodarone. We report a case of a patient with dual-chamber pacing, with stable thresholds on repeated measurements on the last year, who presented severe increase of atrial pacing threshold resulting in loss of atrial capture after a year of treatment with amiodarone. Thresholds were normalized once amiodarone was removed. Ventricular thresholds were not affected.

Clinical effectiveness of antiarrhythmic treatment after electrical cardioversion in patients without structural heart disease.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of using antiarrhythmic drugs after electrical cardioversion in patients without structural heart disease, including their effect on the maintenance of sinus rhythm. METHODS: In total, 528 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation but without significant structural heart disease who underwent successful electrical cardioversion at 96 Spanish hospitals were followed up for 1 year. Patients were assessed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The use and effectiveness of antiarrhythmic drugs for preventing the recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation was evaluated. RESULTS: Some 80% of patients were receiving antiarrhythmic drugs at discharge, most frequently amiodarone. No specific clinical factor was associated with greater use of antiarrhythmics. Overall, 37% of patients were in sinus rhythm at all follow-up assessments. At the 1-year assessment, 59% of patients who remained in sinus rhythm were still taking antiarrhythmic drugs. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified weight (hazard ratio [HR]=1.01 per kg; P=.04) and no antiarrhythmic treatment (HR=1.59; P=.001) as being independently associated with the recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation. Amiodarone tended to be better than other antiarrhythmic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: In routine clinical practice, the large majority of patients without structural heart disease received antiarrhythmic drugs, most frequently amiodarone, after successful electrical cardioversion. Drug use was the principal factor associated with the maintenance of sinus rhythm at 1 year.

Utilidad en la práctica clínica del tratamiento antiarrítmico tras cardioversión eléctrica en pacientes sin cardiopatía estructural / Clinical effectiveness of antiarrhythmic treatment after electrical cardioversion in patients without structural heart disease

Introducción y objetivos. Conocer en la práctica clínica el uso de antiarrítmicos tras cardioversión eléctrica en pacientes sin cardiopatía y su repercusión en el mantenimiento del ritmo sinusal. Métodos. Se realizó un seguimiento a un año de 528 pacientes con fibrilación auricular persistente sin cardiopatía significativa tras una cardioversión eléctrica efectiva en 96 hospitales españoles, con controles clínicos 1, 3, 6 y 12 meses después. Se analizó el uso y la utilidad de los fármacos antiarrítmicos en la prevención de recurrencias de fibrilación auricular persistente. Resultados. Se trató al alta con fármacos antiarrítmicos al 80% de los pacientes, y el más utilizado fue la amiodarona. Ningún factor clínico se relacionó con un mayor uso de antiarrítmicos. El 37% de los pacientes siguió en ritmo sinusal en todos los controles. En el control a los 12 meses, se mantuvo el tratamiento antiarrítmico al 59% de los pacientes que seguían en ritmo sinusal. En el análisis multivariable de la regresión de Cox, el peso (hazard ratio [HR] por cada kilo = 1,01; p = 0,04) y la ausencia de tratamiento antiarrítmico (HR = 1,59; p = 0,001) fueron factores independientes relacionados con la recurrencia de fibrilación auricular persistente. La amiodarona tendía a ser superior a los otros antiarrítmicos. Conclusiones. En la práctica clínica habitual, tras una cardioversión eléctrica efectiva, la gran mayoría de los pacientes sin cardiopatía estructural recibe fármacos antiarrítmicos, especialmente amiodarona, que es el principal factor relacionado con el mantenimiento del ritmo sinusal 1 año más tarde (AU)

Introduction and objectives. The aim was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of using antiarrhythmic drugs after electrical cardioversion in patients without structural heart disease, including their effect on the maintenance of sinus rhythm. Methods. In total, 528 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation but without significant structural heart disease who underwent successful electrical cardioversion at 96 Spanish hospitals were followed up for 1 year. Patients were assessed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The use and effectiveness of antiarrhythmic drugs for preventing the recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation was evaluated. Results. Some 80% of patients were receiving antiarrhythmic drugs at discharge, most frequently amiodarone. No specific clinical factor was associated with greater use of antiarrhythmics. Overall, 37% of patients were in sinus rhythm at all follow-up assessments. At the 1-year assessment, 59% of patients who remained in sinus rhythm were still taking antiarrhythmic drugs. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified weight (hazard ratio [HR]=1.01 per kg; P=.04) and no antiarrhythmic treatment (HR=1.59; P=.001) as being independently associated with the recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation. Amiodarone tended to be better than other antiarrhythmic drugs. Conclusions. In routine clinical practice, the large majority of patients without structural heart disease received antiarrhythmic drugs, most frequently amiodarone, after successful electrical cardioversion. Drug use was the principal factor associated with the maintenance of sinus rhythm at 1 year (AU)

Fibrilación auricular y diálisis. Confluencia de factores / Atrial fibrillation and dialysis. A convergence of risk factors

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