Supra ventricular tachyarrhythmia

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Management of a case of rhythm disturbance in ICCU supra-ventricular supra-ventricular

tachyarrhythmia tachyarrhythmia

Dr Jayanta paul

Final year PGT Medicine dept

Burdwan medical college

Atrial fibrillation

ECG Diagnosis Of Atrial Fibrillation

bull Irregularly irregular RR intervals

bull Absence of P waves

bull Irregular fibrillatory wave forms (best seen in V1)

Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response in a 76-year-old man with breathlessness

Note the irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm Sometimes on first look the

rhythm may appear regular but on closer inspection it is clearly irregular

Atrial fibrillation with pre-existing LBBB in a 60-year-old woman with hypertension

Sometimes this can be confused with ventricular tachycardia but closer inspection can identify the irregularity

The irregularly irregular rhythm suggests AF Features of typical left bundle branch block include wide QRS (gt 120 ms) no secondary R wave in lead V1 and no lateral Q waves

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation in a 47-year-old man with a long history of palpitations and lately blackouts

Note the irregularly irregular wide complex tachycardia

Impulses from the atria are conducted to the ventricles via either both the AV node and accessory pathway (producing a broad fusion complex) or just the AV node (producing a narrow complex without a delta wave) or just the accessory pathway (producing a very broad ldquopurerdquo delta wave)

People who develop this rhythm and have very short RR intervals are at higher risk of VF

Laboratory Tests ---

1 Thyroid Studies

2 Complete Blood Count

3 Drug Levels

4 Coagulation Studies

5 Cardiac Markers

7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

6Echocardiography

Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

WHICH IS SUPERIOR

AFFIRM Trial

RACE Trail

AF-CHF Trail

STAF Trail

PIAF trail

Management of atrial fibrillation

N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

Recommended agents

Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

ProcainamideClass IC Agents

Propafenone Flecainide

Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

Rhythm control

Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

Abstract

In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

External defibrillation

Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

Recurrence after external defibrillation

J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

bull Dilated left atrium

bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

bull Too low energy

bull Technique

bull Other patient factors

J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

Target INR-- 2-3

Others risk factors for embolism

1 Valvular heart diseases

2 Age 65-74 yrs

3 Female sex

4 Coronary artery disease

5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

6 Systemic embolism

7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

High risk catagories

1 Valvular heart disease

2 Prior ischemic stroke

3 ho systemic embolism

4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

1 Age gt 85

2 Stroke and TIA

3 Pregnancy

4 Dental or surgical procedures

5 After Coronary revascularization

DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

RE-LY study

3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

apixaban endoxaban

AVERROES study

betrixaban

dabigatran Ximelagatran

Direct thrombin inhibition

RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

overall

Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

interruption of anticoagulant therapy

Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

atrial fibrillation

ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

atrioesophageal fistula

systemic embolic events

perforationtamponade

Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

AV nodal re entry tachycardia

55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

ECG description

Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

150 bpm

No visible P waves preceding QRS

Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

Interpretation

A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

A closer look

However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

Adenosine effect

Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

AVNRT

Patient condition

Hemodynamic ally

stable Hemodynamic ally

unstble

Vagal maneuver

adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

To prevent recurrence

Drugs

Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

Treatment of MAT

Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

Avoid sedatives

Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

Cardioversion in MAT

Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

Surgical care

In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

Atrial flutter

A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

Emergency Department Care

Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

Anti coagulation therapy

Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

Cardioversion for unstable patients

If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

AV-His Bundle ablation

In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

procedure creates third-degree heart block

Questions

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  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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  • Anti - coagulation therapy
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    Atrial fibrillation

    ECG Diagnosis Of Atrial Fibrillation

    bull Irregularly irregular RR intervals

    bull Absence of P waves

    bull Irregular fibrillatory wave forms (best seen in V1)

    Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response in a 76-year-old man with breathlessness

    Note the irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm Sometimes on first look the

    rhythm may appear regular but on closer inspection it is clearly irregular

    Atrial fibrillation with pre-existing LBBB in a 60-year-old woman with hypertension

    Sometimes this can be confused with ventricular tachycardia but closer inspection can identify the irregularity

    The irregularly irregular rhythm suggests AF Features of typical left bundle branch block include wide QRS (gt 120 ms) no secondary R wave in lead V1 and no lateral Q waves

    Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation in a 47-year-old man with a long history of palpitations and lately blackouts

    Note the irregularly irregular wide complex tachycardia

    Impulses from the atria are conducted to the ventricles via either both the AV node and accessory pathway (producing a broad fusion complex) or just the AV node (producing a narrow complex without a delta wave) or just the accessory pathway (producing a very broad ldquopurerdquo delta wave)

    People who develop this rhythm and have very short RR intervals are at higher risk of VF

    Laboratory Tests ---

    1 Thyroid Studies

    2 Complete Blood Count

    3 Drug Levels

    4 Coagulation Studies

    5 Cardiac Markers

    7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

    6Echocardiography

    Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

    Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

    Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

    hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

    hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

    It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

    a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

    classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

    RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

    WHICH IS SUPERIOR

    AFFIRM Trial

    RACE Trail

    AF-CHF Trail

    STAF Trail

    PIAF trail

    Management of atrial fibrillation

    N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

    A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

    Abstract

    BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

    Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

    1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

    2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

    3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

    RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

    Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

    therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

    Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

    Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

    Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

    GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

    Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

    Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

    Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

    GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

    Recommended agents

    Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

    Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

    Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

    Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

    Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

    Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

    ProcainamideClass IC Agents

    Propafenone Flecainide

    Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

    Rhythm control

    Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

    Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

    Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

    SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

    Abstract

    In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

    For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

    Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

    Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

    Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

    In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

    In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

    Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

    Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

    In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

    In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

    Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

    Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

    In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

    External defibrillation

    Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

    acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

    Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

    Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

    Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

    Recurrence after external defibrillation

    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

    OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

    Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

    bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

    bull Dilated left atrium

    bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

    bull Too low energy

    bull Technique

    bull Other patient factors

    J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

    SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

    AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

    ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

    CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

    C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

    Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

    Target INR-- 2-3

    Others risk factors for embolism

    1 Valvular heart diseases

    2 Age 65-74 yrs

    3 Female sex

    4 Coronary artery disease

    5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

    6 Systemic embolism

    7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

    High risk catagories

    1 Valvular heart disease

    2 Prior ischemic stroke

    3 ho systemic embolism

    4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

    ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

    1 Age gt 85

    2 Stroke and TIA

    3 Pregnancy

    4 Dental or surgical procedures

    5 After Coronary revascularization

    DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

    1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

    2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

    RE-LY study

    3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

    apixaban endoxaban

    AVERROES study

    betrixaban

    dabigatran Ximelagatran

    Direct thrombin inhibition

    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

    1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

    daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

    2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

    at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

    overall

    Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

    Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

    SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

    1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

    2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

    3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

    4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

    Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

    Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

    SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

    When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

    stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

    higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

    interruption of anticoagulant therapy

    Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

    Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

    SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

    1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

    2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

    World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

    Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

    SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

    1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

    2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

    3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

    J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

    Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

    SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

    1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

    2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

    3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

    J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

    SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

    Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

    SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

    atrial fibrillation

    ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

    Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

    new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

    Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

    1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

    2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

    3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

    4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

    5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

    5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

    6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

    1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

    2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

    3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

    4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

    5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

    Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

    Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

    SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

    1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

    2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

    3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

    4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

    Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

    Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

    SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

    Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

    Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

    Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

    Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

    If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

    Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

    atrioesophageal fistula

    systemic embolic events

    perforationtamponade

    Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

    coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

    view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

    ECG description

    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

    150 bpm

    No visible P waves preceding QRS

    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

    Interpretation

    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

    A closer look

    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

    Adenosine effect

    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

    AVNRT

    Patient condition

    Hemodynamic ally

    stable Hemodynamic ally

    unstble

    Vagal maneuver

    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

    To prevent recurrence

    Drugs

    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

    Treatment of MAT

    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

    Avoid sedatives

    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

    Cardioversion in MAT

    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

    Surgical care

    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

    Atrial flutter

    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

    Emergency Department Care

    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

    Anti coagulation therapy

    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

    Cardioversion for unstable patients

    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

    AV-His Bundle ablation

    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

    procedure creates third-degree heart block

    Questions

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    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
    • Slide 13
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    • Anti - coagulation therapy
    • Slide 33
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    • Slide 81

      ECG Diagnosis Of Atrial Fibrillation

      bull Irregularly irregular RR intervals

      bull Absence of P waves

      bull Irregular fibrillatory wave forms (best seen in V1)

      Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response in a 76-year-old man with breathlessness

      Note the irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm Sometimes on first look the

      rhythm may appear regular but on closer inspection it is clearly irregular

      Atrial fibrillation with pre-existing LBBB in a 60-year-old woman with hypertension

      Sometimes this can be confused with ventricular tachycardia but closer inspection can identify the irregularity

      The irregularly irregular rhythm suggests AF Features of typical left bundle branch block include wide QRS (gt 120 ms) no secondary R wave in lead V1 and no lateral Q waves

      Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation in a 47-year-old man with a long history of palpitations and lately blackouts

      Note the irregularly irregular wide complex tachycardia

      Impulses from the atria are conducted to the ventricles via either both the AV node and accessory pathway (producing a broad fusion complex) or just the AV node (producing a narrow complex without a delta wave) or just the accessory pathway (producing a very broad ldquopurerdquo delta wave)

      People who develop this rhythm and have very short RR intervals are at higher risk of VF

      Laboratory Tests ---

      1 Thyroid Studies

      2 Complete Blood Count

      3 Drug Levels

      4 Coagulation Studies

      5 Cardiac Markers

      7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

      6Echocardiography

      Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

      Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

      Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

      hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

      hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

      It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

      a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

      classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

      RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

      WHICH IS SUPERIOR

      AFFIRM Trial

      RACE Trail

      AF-CHF Trail

      STAF Trail

      PIAF trail

      Management of atrial fibrillation

      N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

      A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

      Abstract

      BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

      Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

      1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

      2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

      3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

      RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

      Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

      therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

      Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

      Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

      Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

      GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

      Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

      Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

      Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

      GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

      Recommended agents

      Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

      Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

      Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

      Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

      Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

      Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

      ProcainamideClass IC Agents

      Propafenone Flecainide

      Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

      Rhythm control

      Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

      Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

      Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

      SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

      Abstract

      In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

      For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

      Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

      Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

      Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

      In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

      In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

      Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

      Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

      In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

      In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

      Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

      Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

      In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

      External defibrillation

      Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

      acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

      Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

      Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

      Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

      Recurrence after external defibrillation

      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

      OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

      Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

      bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

      bull Dilated left atrium

      bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

      bull Too low energy

      bull Technique

      bull Other patient factors

      J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

      SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

      AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

      ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

      CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

      C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

      Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

      Target INR-- 2-3

      Others risk factors for embolism

      1 Valvular heart diseases

      2 Age 65-74 yrs

      3 Female sex

      4 Coronary artery disease

      5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

      6 Systemic embolism

      7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

      High risk catagories

      1 Valvular heart disease

      2 Prior ischemic stroke

      3 ho systemic embolism

      4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

      ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

      1 Age gt 85

      2 Stroke and TIA

      3 Pregnancy

      4 Dental or surgical procedures

      5 After Coronary revascularization

      DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

      1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

      2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

      RE-LY study

      3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

      apixaban endoxaban

      AVERROES study

      betrixaban

      dabigatran Ximelagatran

      Direct thrombin inhibition

      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

      1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

      daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

      2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

      at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

      overall

      Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

      Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

      SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

      1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

      2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

      3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

      4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

      Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

      Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

      SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

      When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

      stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

      higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

      interruption of anticoagulant therapy

      Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

      Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

      SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

      1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

      2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

      World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

      Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

      SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

      1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

      2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

      3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

      J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

      Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

      SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

      1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

      2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

      3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

      J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

      SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

      Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

      SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

      atrial fibrillation

      ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

      Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

      new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

      Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

      1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

      2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

      3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

      4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

      5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

      5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

      6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

      1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

      2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

      3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

      4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

      5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

      Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

      Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

      SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

      1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

      2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

      3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

      4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

      Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

      Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

      SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

      Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

      Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

      Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

      Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

      If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

      Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

      atrioesophageal fistula

      systemic embolic events

      perforationtamponade

      Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

      coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

      view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

      AV nodal re entry tachycardia

      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

      ECG description

      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

      150 bpm

      No visible P waves preceding QRS

      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

      Interpretation

      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

      A closer look

      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

      Adenosine effect

      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

      AVNRT

      Patient condition

      Hemodynamic ally

      stable Hemodynamic ally

      unstble

      Vagal maneuver

      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

      To prevent recurrence

      Drugs

      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

      Treatment of MAT

      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

      Avoid sedatives

      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

      Cardioversion in MAT

      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

      Surgical care

      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

      Atrial flutter

      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

      Emergency Department Care

      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

      Anti coagulation therapy

      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

      Cardioversion for unstable patients

      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

      AV-His Bundle ablation

      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

      procedure creates third-degree heart block

      Questions

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      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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      • Anti - coagulation therapy
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        Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response in a 76-year-old man with breathlessness

        Note the irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm Sometimes on first look the

        rhythm may appear regular but on closer inspection it is clearly irregular

        Atrial fibrillation with pre-existing LBBB in a 60-year-old woman with hypertension

        Sometimes this can be confused with ventricular tachycardia but closer inspection can identify the irregularity

        The irregularly irregular rhythm suggests AF Features of typical left bundle branch block include wide QRS (gt 120 ms) no secondary R wave in lead V1 and no lateral Q waves

        Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation in a 47-year-old man with a long history of palpitations and lately blackouts

        Note the irregularly irregular wide complex tachycardia

        Impulses from the atria are conducted to the ventricles via either both the AV node and accessory pathway (producing a broad fusion complex) or just the AV node (producing a narrow complex without a delta wave) or just the accessory pathway (producing a very broad ldquopurerdquo delta wave)

        People who develop this rhythm and have very short RR intervals are at higher risk of VF

        Laboratory Tests ---

        1 Thyroid Studies

        2 Complete Blood Count

        3 Drug Levels

        4 Coagulation Studies

        5 Cardiac Markers

        7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

        6Echocardiography

        Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

        Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

        Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

        hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

        hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

        It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

        a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

        classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

        RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

        WHICH IS SUPERIOR

        AFFIRM Trial

        RACE Trail

        AF-CHF Trail

        STAF Trail

        PIAF trail

        Management of atrial fibrillation

        N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

        A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

        Abstract

        BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

        Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

        1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

        2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

        3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

        RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

        Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

        therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

        Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

        Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

        Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

        GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

        Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

        Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

        Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

        GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

        Recommended agents

        Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

        Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

        Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

        Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

        Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

        Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

        ProcainamideClass IC Agents

        Propafenone Flecainide

        Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

        Rhythm control

        Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

        Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

        Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

        SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

        Abstract

        In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

        For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

        Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

        Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

        Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

        In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

        In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

        Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

        Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

        In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

        In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

        Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

        Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

        In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

        External defibrillation

        Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

        acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

        Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

        Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

        Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

        Recurrence after external defibrillation

        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

        OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

        Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

        bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

        bull Dilated left atrium

        bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

        bull Too low energy

        bull Technique

        bull Other patient factors

        J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

        SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

        AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

        ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

        CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

        C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

        Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

        Target INR-- 2-3

        Others risk factors for embolism

        1 Valvular heart diseases

        2 Age 65-74 yrs

        3 Female sex

        4 Coronary artery disease

        5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

        6 Systemic embolism

        7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

        High risk catagories

        1 Valvular heart disease

        2 Prior ischemic stroke

        3 ho systemic embolism

        4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

        ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

        1 Age gt 85

        2 Stroke and TIA

        3 Pregnancy

        4 Dental or surgical procedures

        5 After Coronary revascularization

        DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

        1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

        2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

        RE-LY study

        3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

        apixaban endoxaban

        AVERROES study

        betrixaban

        dabigatran Ximelagatran

        Direct thrombin inhibition

        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

        1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

        daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

        2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

        at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

        overall

        Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

        Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

        SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

        1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

        2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

        3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

        4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

        Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

        Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

        SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

        When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

        stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

        higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

        interruption of anticoagulant therapy

        Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

        Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

        SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

        1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

        2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

        World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

        Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

        SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

        1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

        2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

        3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

        J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

        Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

        SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

        1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

        2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

        3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

        J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

        SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

        Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

        SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

        atrial fibrillation

        ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

        Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

        new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

        Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

        1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

        2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

        3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

        4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

        5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

        5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

        6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

        1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

        2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

        3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

        4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

        5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

        Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

        Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

        SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

        1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

        2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

        3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

        4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

        Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

        Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

        SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

        Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

        Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

        Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

        Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

        If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

        Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

        atrioesophageal fistula

        systemic embolic events

        perforationtamponade

        Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

        coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

        view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

        AV nodal re entry tachycardia

        55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

        ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

        onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

        Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

        180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

        ECG description

        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

        150 bpm

        No visible P waves preceding QRS

        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

        Interpretation

        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

        A closer look

        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

        Adenosine effect

        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

        AVNRT

        Patient condition

        Hemodynamic ally

        stable Hemodynamic ally

        unstble

        Vagal maneuver

        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

        To prevent recurrence

        Drugs

        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

        Treatment of MAT

        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

        Avoid sedatives

        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

        Cardioversion in MAT

        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

        Surgical care

        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

        Atrial flutter

        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

        Emergency Department Care

        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

        Anti coagulation therapy

        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

        Cardioversion for unstable patients

        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

        AV-His Bundle ablation

        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

        procedure creates third-degree heart block

        Questions

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        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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        • Anti - coagulation therapy
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          Atrial fibrillation with pre-existing LBBB in a 60-year-old woman with hypertension

          Sometimes this can be confused with ventricular tachycardia but closer inspection can identify the irregularity

          The irregularly irregular rhythm suggests AF Features of typical left bundle branch block include wide QRS (gt 120 ms) no secondary R wave in lead V1 and no lateral Q waves

          Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation in a 47-year-old man with a long history of palpitations and lately blackouts

          Note the irregularly irregular wide complex tachycardia

          Impulses from the atria are conducted to the ventricles via either both the AV node and accessory pathway (producing a broad fusion complex) or just the AV node (producing a narrow complex without a delta wave) or just the accessory pathway (producing a very broad ldquopurerdquo delta wave)

          People who develop this rhythm and have very short RR intervals are at higher risk of VF

          Laboratory Tests ---

          1 Thyroid Studies

          2 Complete Blood Count

          3 Drug Levels

          4 Coagulation Studies

          5 Cardiac Markers

          7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

          6Echocardiography

          Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

          Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

          Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

          hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

          hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

          It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

          a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

          classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

          RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

          WHICH IS SUPERIOR

          AFFIRM Trial

          RACE Trail

          AF-CHF Trail

          STAF Trail

          PIAF trail

          Management of atrial fibrillation

          N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

          A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

          Abstract

          BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

          Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

          1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

          2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

          3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

          RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

          Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

          therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

          Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

          Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

          Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

          GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

          Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

          Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

          Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

          GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

          Recommended agents

          Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

          Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

          Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

          Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

          Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

          Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

          ProcainamideClass IC Agents

          Propafenone Flecainide

          Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

          Rhythm control

          Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

          Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

          Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

          SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

          Abstract

          In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

          For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

          Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

          Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

          Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

          In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

          In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

          Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

          Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

          In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

          In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

          Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

          Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

          In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

          External defibrillation

          Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

          acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

          Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

          Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

          Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

          Recurrence after external defibrillation

          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

          OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

          Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

          bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

          bull Dilated left atrium

          bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

          bull Too low energy

          bull Technique

          bull Other patient factors

          J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

          SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

          AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

          ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

          CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

          C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

          Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

          Target INR-- 2-3

          Others risk factors for embolism

          1 Valvular heart diseases

          2 Age 65-74 yrs

          3 Female sex

          4 Coronary artery disease

          5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

          6 Systemic embolism

          7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

          High risk catagories

          1 Valvular heart disease

          2 Prior ischemic stroke

          3 ho systemic embolism

          4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

          ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

          1 Age gt 85

          2 Stroke and TIA

          3 Pregnancy

          4 Dental or surgical procedures

          5 After Coronary revascularization

          DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

          1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

          2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

          RE-LY study

          3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

          apixaban endoxaban

          AVERROES study

          betrixaban

          dabigatran Ximelagatran

          Direct thrombin inhibition

          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

          1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

          daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

          2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

          at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

          overall

          Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

          Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

          SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

          1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

          2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

          3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

          4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

          Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

          Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

          SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

          When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

          stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

          higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

          interruption of anticoagulant therapy

          Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

          Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

          SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

          1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

          2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

          World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

          Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

          SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

          1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

          2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

          3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

          J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

          Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

          SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

          1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

          2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

          3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

          J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

          SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

          Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

          SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

          atrial fibrillation

          ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

          Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

          new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

          Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

          1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

          2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

          3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

          4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

          5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

          5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

          6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

          1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

          2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

          3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

          4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

          5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

          Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

          Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

          SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

          1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

          2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

          3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

          4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

          Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

          Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

          SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

          Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

          Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

          Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

          Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

          If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

          Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

          atrioesophageal fistula

          systemic embolic events

          perforationtamponade

          Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

          coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

          view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

          AV nodal re entry tachycardia

          55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

          ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

          onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

          Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

          180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

          ECG description

          Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

          150 bpm

          No visible P waves preceding QRS

          Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

          Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

          Interpretation

          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

          A closer look

          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

          Adenosine effect

          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

          AVNRT

          Patient condition

          Hemodynamic ally

          stable Hemodynamic ally

          unstble

          Vagal maneuver

          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

          To prevent recurrence

          Drugs

          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

          Treatment of MAT

          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

          Avoid sedatives

          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

          Cardioversion in MAT

          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

          Surgical care

          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

          Atrial flutter

          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

          Emergency Department Care

          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

          Anti coagulation therapy

          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

          Cardioversion for unstable patients

          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

          AV-His Bundle ablation

          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

          procedure creates third-degree heart block

          Questions

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          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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          • Anti - coagulation therapy
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            Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation in a 47-year-old man with a long history of palpitations and lately blackouts

            Note the irregularly irregular wide complex tachycardia

            Impulses from the atria are conducted to the ventricles via either both the AV node and accessory pathway (producing a broad fusion complex) or just the AV node (producing a narrow complex without a delta wave) or just the accessory pathway (producing a very broad ldquopurerdquo delta wave)

            People who develop this rhythm and have very short RR intervals are at higher risk of VF

            Laboratory Tests ---

            1 Thyroid Studies

            2 Complete Blood Count

            3 Drug Levels

            4 Coagulation Studies

            5 Cardiac Markers

            7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

            6Echocardiography

            Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

            Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

            Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

            hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

            hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

            It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

            a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

            classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

            RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

            WHICH IS SUPERIOR

            AFFIRM Trial

            RACE Trail

            AF-CHF Trail

            STAF Trail

            PIAF trail

            Management of atrial fibrillation

            N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

            A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

            Abstract

            BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

            Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

            1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

            2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

            3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

            RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

            Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

            therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

            Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

            Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

            Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

            GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

            Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

            Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

            Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

            GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

            Recommended agents

            Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

            Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

            Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

            Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

            Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

            Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

            ProcainamideClass IC Agents

            Propafenone Flecainide

            Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

            Rhythm control

            Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

            Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

            Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

            SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

            Abstract

            In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

            For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

            Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

            Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

            Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

            In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

            In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

            Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

            Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

            In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

            In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

            Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

            Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

            In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

            External defibrillation

            Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

            acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

            Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

            Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

            Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

            Recurrence after external defibrillation

            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

            OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

            Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

            bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

            bull Dilated left atrium

            bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

            bull Too low energy

            bull Technique

            bull Other patient factors

            J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

            SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

            AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

            ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

            CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

            C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

            Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

            Target INR-- 2-3

            Others risk factors for embolism

            1 Valvular heart diseases

            2 Age 65-74 yrs

            3 Female sex

            4 Coronary artery disease

            5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

            6 Systemic embolism

            7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

            High risk catagories

            1 Valvular heart disease

            2 Prior ischemic stroke

            3 ho systemic embolism

            4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

            ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

            1 Age gt 85

            2 Stroke and TIA

            3 Pregnancy

            4 Dental or surgical procedures

            5 After Coronary revascularization

            DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

            1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

            2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

            RE-LY study

            3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

            apixaban endoxaban

            AVERROES study

            betrixaban

            dabigatran Ximelagatran

            Direct thrombin inhibition

            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

            1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

            daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

            2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

            at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

            overall

            Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

            Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

            SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

            1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

            2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

            3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

            4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

            Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

            Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

            SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

            When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

            stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

            higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

            interruption of anticoagulant therapy

            Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

            Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

            SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

            1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

            2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

            World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

            Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

            SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

            1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

            2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

            3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

            J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

            Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

            SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

            1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

            2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

            3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

            J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

            SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

            Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

            SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

            atrial fibrillation

            ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

            Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

            new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

            Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

            1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

            2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

            3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

            4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

            5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

            5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

            6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

            1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

            2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

            3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

            4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

            5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

            Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

            Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

            SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

            1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

            2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

            3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

            4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

            Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

            Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

            SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

            Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

            Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

            Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

            Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

            If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

            Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

            atrioesophageal fistula

            systemic embolic events

            perforationtamponade

            Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

            coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

            view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

            AV nodal re entry tachycardia

            55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

            ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

            onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

            Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

            180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

            ECG description

            Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

            150 bpm

            No visible P waves preceding QRS

            Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

            Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

            Interpretation

            A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

            However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

            The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

            With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

            A closer look

            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

            Adenosine effect

            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

            AVNRT

            Patient condition

            Hemodynamic ally

            stable Hemodynamic ally

            unstble

            Vagal maneuver

            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

            To prevent recurrence

            Drugs

            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

            Treatment of MAT

            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

            Avoid sedatives

            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

            Cardioversion in MAT

            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

            Surgical care

            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

            Atrial flutter

            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

            Emergency Department Care

            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

            Anti coagulation therapy

            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

            Cardioversion for unstable patients

            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

            AV-His Bundle ablation

            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

            procedure creates third-degree heart block

            Questions

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            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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            • Anti - coagulation therapy
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              Laboratory Tests ---

              1 Thyroid Studies

              2 Complete Blood Count

              3 Drug Levels

              4 Coagulation Studies

              5 Cardiac Markers

              7 Tests For Pulmonary Embolism

              6Echocardiography

              Digoxin toxicity (but not digoxin use) is a relative contraindication to electrical cardioversiondefibrillationas case reports of asystole after such attempts to treat tachydysrhythmias in this setting have occurred40

              Obtain a protime (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) if the patient is on warfarin

              Up to 20 of patients who present with acute MI will develop AF in close proximity to the acute MI

              hellipECG changes suspicious for ischemia or underlyingheart disease hellipSignificant risk factors for CAD

              hellippossible angina (chest pain pressure significant dyspnea CHF etc)

              It is important to note that a transthoracic echo is inadequate for the exclusion of clot as it cannot visualize the left atrialappendage very well

              a screening TSH should be obtained in older patients (gt 55) with NOAF

              classic signs and symptoms (like buggy eyessweating tremors or diarrhea)

              RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

              WHICH IS SUPERIOR

              AFFIRM Trial

              RACE Trail

              AF-CHF Trail

              STAF Trail

              PIAF trail

              Management of atrial fibrillation

              N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

              A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

              Abstract

              BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

              Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

              1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

              2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

              3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

              RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

              Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

              therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

              Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

              Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

              Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

              GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

              Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

              Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

              Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

              GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

              Recommended agents

              Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

              Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

              Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

              Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

              Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

              Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

              ProcainamideClass IC Agents

              Propafenone Flecainide

              Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

              Rhythm control

              Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

              Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

              Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

              SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

              Abstract

              In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

              For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

              Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

              Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

              Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

              In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

              In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

              Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

              Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

              In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

              In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

              Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

              Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

              In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

              External defibrillation

              Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

              acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

              Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

              Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

              Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

              Recurrence after external defibrillation

              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

              OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

              Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

              bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

              bull Dilated left atrium

              bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

              bull Too low energy

              bull Technique

              bull Other patient factors

              J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

              SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

              AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

              ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

              CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

              C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

              Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

              Target INR-- 2-3

              Others risk factors for embolism

              1 Valvular heart diseases

              2 Age 65-74 yrs

              3 Female sex

              4 Coronary artery disease

              5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

              6 Systemic embolism

              7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

              High risk catagories

              1 Valvular heart disease

              2 Prior ischemic stroke

              3 ho systemic embolism

              4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

              ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

              1 Age gt 85

              2 Stroke and TIA

              3 Pregnancy

              4 Dental or surgical procedures

              5 After Coronary revascularization

              DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

              1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

              2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

              RE-LY study

              3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

              apixaban endoxaban

              AVERROES study

              betrixaban

              dabigatran Ximelagatran

              Direct thrombin inhibition

              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

              1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

              daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

              2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

              at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

              overall

              Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

              Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

              SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

              1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

              2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

              3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

              4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

              Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

              Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

              SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

              When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

              stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

              higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

              interruption of anticoagulant therapy

              Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

              Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

              SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

              1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

              2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

              World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

              Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

              SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

              1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

              2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

              3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

              J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

              Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

              SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

              1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

              2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

              3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

              J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

              SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

              Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

              SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

              atrial fibrillation

              ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

              Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

              new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

              Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

              1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

              2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

              3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

              4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

              5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

              5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

              6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

              1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

              2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

              3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

              4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

              5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

              Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

              Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

              SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

              1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

              2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

              3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

              4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

              Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

              Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

              SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

              Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

              Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

              Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

              Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

              If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

              Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

              atrioesophageal fistula

              systemic embolic events

              perforationtamponade

              Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

              coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

              view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

              AV nodal re entry tachycardia

              55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

              ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

              onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

              Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

              180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

              ECG description

              Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

              150 bpm

              No visible P waves preceding QRS

              Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

              Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

              Interpretation

              A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

              However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

              The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

              With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

              A closer look

              However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

              Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

              In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

              The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

              Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

              Adenosine effect

              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

              AVNRT

              Patient condition

              Hemodynamic ally

              stable Hemodynamic ally

              unstble

              Vagal maneuver

              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

              To prevent recurrence

              Drugs

              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

              Treatment of MAT

              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

              Avoid sedatives

              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

              Cardioversion in MAT

              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

              Surgical care

              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

              Atrial flutter

              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

              Emergency Department Care

              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

              Anti coagulation therapy

              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

              Cardioversion for unstable patients

              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

              AV-His Bundle ablation

              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

              procedure creates third-degree heart block

              Questions

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              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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              • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                RATE VERSUS RHYTHM CONTROL

                WHICH IS SUPERIOR

                AFFIRM Trial

                RACE Trail

                AF-CHF Trail

                STAF Trail

                PIAF trail

                Management of atrial fibrillation

                N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

                A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

                Abstract

                BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

                Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

                1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

                2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

                3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

                RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

                Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

                therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

                Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

                Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

                Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

                GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

                Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

                Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

                GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                Recommended agents

                Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

                Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

                Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                Propafenone Flecainide

                Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                Rhythm control

                Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                Abstract

                In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                External defibrillation

                Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                Recurrence after external defibrillation

                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                bull Dilated left atrium

                bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                bull Too low energy

                bull Technique

                bull Other patient factors

                J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                Target INR-- 2-3

                Others risk factors for embolism

                1 Valvular heart diseases

                2 Age 65-74 yrs

                3 Female sex

                4 Coronary artery disease

                5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                6 Systemic embolism

                7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                High risk catagories

                1 Valvular heart disease

                2 Prior ischemic stroke

                3 ho systemic embolism

                4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                1 Age gt 85

                2 Stroke and TIA

                3 Pregnancy

                4 Dental or surgical procedures

                5 After Coronary revascularization

                DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                RE-LY study

                3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                apixaban endoxaban

                AVERROES study

                betrixaban

                dabigatran Ximelagatran

                Direct thrombin inhibition

                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                overall

                Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                atrial fibrillation

                ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                atrioesophageal fistula

                systemic embolic events

                perforationtamponade

                Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                ECG description

                Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                150 bpm

                No visible P waves preceding QRS

                Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                Interpretation

                A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                A closer look

                However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                Adenosine effect

                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                AVNRT

                Patient condition

                Hemodynamic ally

                stable Hemodynamic ally

                unstble

                Vagal maneuver

                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                To prevent recurrence

                Drugs

                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                Treatment of MAT

                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                Avoid sedatives

                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                Cardioversion in MAT

                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                Surgical care

                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                Atrial flutter

                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                Emergency Department Care

                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                Anti coagulation therapy

                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                AV-His Bundle ablation

                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                Questions

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                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                  N Engl J Med 2002 Dec 5347(23)1825-33

                  A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillationWyse DG Waldo AL DiMarco JP Domanski MJ Rosenberg Y Schron EB Kellen JC Greene HL Mickel MC Dalquist JE Corley SD Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) InvestigatorsSourceAFFIRM Clinical Trial Center Axio Research 2601 4th Ave Ste 200 Seattle WA 98121 USA

                  Abstract

                  BACKGROUNDThere are two approaches to the treatment of atrial fibrillation one is cardioversion and treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the other is the use of rate-controlling drugs allowing atrial fibrillation to persist In both approaches the use of anticoagulant drugs is recommendedMETHODSWe conducted a randomized multicenter comparison of these two treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke or death The primary end point was overall mortalityRESULTSA total of 4060 patients (mean [+-SD] age 697+-90 years) were enrolled in the study 708 percent had a history of hypertension and 382 percent had coronary artery disease Of the 3311 patients with echocardiograms the left atrium was enlarged in 647 percent and left ventricular function was depressed in 260 percent There were 356 deaths among the patients assigned to rhythm-control therapy and 310 deaths among those assigned to rate-control therapy (mortality at five years 238 percent and 213 percent respectively hazard ratio 115 [95 percent confidence interval 099 to 134] P=008) More patients in the rhythm-control group than in the rate-control group were hospitalized and there were more adverse drug effects in the rhythm-control group as well In both groups the majority of strokes occurred after warfarin had been stopped or when the international normalized ratio was subtherapeuticCONCLUSIONSManagement of atrial fibrillation with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy and there are potential advantages such as a lower risk of adverse drug effects with the rate-control strategy Anticoagulation should be continued in this group of high-risk patients

                  Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

                  1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

                  2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

                  3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

                  RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

                  Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

                  therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

                  Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

                  Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

                  Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

                  GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                  Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

                  Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

                  Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

                  GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                  Recommended agents

                  Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

                  Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

                  Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                  Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                  Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                  Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                  ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                  Propafenone Flecainide

                  Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                  Rhythm control

                  Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                  Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                  Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                  SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                  Abstract

                  In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                  For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                  Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                  Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                  Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                  In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                  In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                  Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                  Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                  In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                  In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                  Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                  Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                  In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                  External defibrillation

                  Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                  acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                  Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                  Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                  Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                  Recurrence after external defibrillation

                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                  Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                  OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                  Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                  bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                  bull Dilated left atrium

                  bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                  bull Too low energy

                  bull Technique

                  bull Other patient factors

                  J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                  SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                  AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                  ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                  CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                  C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                  Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                  Target INR-- 2-3

                  Others risk factors for embolism

                  1 Valvular heart diseases

                  2 Age 65-74 yrs

                  3 Female sex

                  4 Coronary artery disease

                  5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                  6 Systemic embolism

                  7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                  High risk catagories

                  1 Valvular heart disease

                  2 Prior ischemic stroke

                  3 ho systemic embolism

                  4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                  ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                  1 Age gt 85

                  2 Stroke and TIA

                  3 Pregnancy

                  4 Dental or surgical procedures

                  5 After Coronary revascularization

                  DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                  1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                  2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                  RE-LY study

                  3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                  apixaban endoxaban

                  AVERROES study

                  betrixaban

                  dabigatran Ximelagatran

                  Direct thrombin inhibition

                  RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                  RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                  1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                  daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                  2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                  at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                  overall

                  Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                  Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                  SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                  1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                  2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                  3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                  4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                  Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                  Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                  SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                  When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                  stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                  higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                  interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                  Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                  Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                  1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                  2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                  World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                  Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                  SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                  1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                  2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                  3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                  J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                  Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                  SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                  1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                  2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                  3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                  SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                  Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                  Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                  SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                  atrial fibrillation

                  ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                  Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                  new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                  Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                  1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                  2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                  3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                  4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                  5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                  5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                  6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                  1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                  2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                  3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                  4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                  5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                  Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                  Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                  SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                  1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                  2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                  3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                  4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                  Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                  Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                  Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                  Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                  Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                  Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                  If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                  Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                  atrioesophageal fistula

                  systemic embolic events

                  perforationtamponade

                  Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                  coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                  view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                  AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                  55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                  ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                  onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                  Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                  180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                  ECG description

                  Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                  150 bpm

                  No visible P waves preceding QRS

                  Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                  Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                  Interpretation

                  A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                  However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                  The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                  With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                  A closer look

                  However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                  Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                  In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                  The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                  Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                  Adenosine effect

                  Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                  AVNRT

                  Patient condition

                  Hemodynamic ally

                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                  unstble

                  Vagal maneuver

                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                  To prevent recurrence

                  Drugs

                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                  Treatment of MAT

                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                  Avoid sedatives

                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                  Cardioversion in MAT

                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                  Surgical care

                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                  Atrial flutter

                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                  Emergency Department Care

                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                  Anti coagulation therapy

                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                  Questions

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                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                    Management Choosing longterm rate versus rhythm control

                    1 Rate control has less drug-related adverse effects

                    2 Rate control has equivalent efficacy to rhythm controlSame survival benefitSame Cerebrovascular Accident risk

                    3 Rhythm control may offer benefit in age lt65 years

                    RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

                    Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

                    therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

                    Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

                    Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

                    Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

                    GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                    Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

                    Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

                    Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

                    GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                    Recommended agents

                    Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

                    Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

                    Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                    Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                    Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                    Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                    ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                    Propafenone Flecainide

                    Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                    Rhythm control

                    Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                    Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                    Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                    SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                    Abstract

                    In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                    For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                    Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                    Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                    Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                    In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                    In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                    Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                    Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                    In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                    In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                    Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                    Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                    In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                    External defibrillation

                    Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                    acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                    Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                    Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                    Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                    Recurrence after external defibrillation

                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                    OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                    Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                    bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                    bull Dilated left atrium

                    bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                    bull Too low energy

                    bull Technique

                    bull Other patient factors

                    J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                    SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                    AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                    ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                    CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                    C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                    Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                    Target INR-- 2-3

                    Others risk factors for embolism

                    1 Valvular heart diseases

                    2 Age 65-74 yrs

                    3 Female sex

                    4 Coronary artery disease

                    5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                    6 Systemic embolism

                    7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                    High risk catagories

                    1 Valvular heart disease

                    2 Prior ischemic stroke

                    3 ho systemic embolism

                    4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                    ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                    1 Age gt 85

                    2 Stroke and TIA

                    3 Pregnancy

                    4 Dental or surgical procedures

                    5 After Coronary revascularization

                    DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                    1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                    2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                    RE-LY study

                    3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                    apixaban endoxaban

                    AVERROES study

                    betrixaban

                    dabigatran Ximelagatran

                    Direct thrombin inhibition

                    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                    1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                    daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                    2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                    at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                    overall

                    Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                    Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                    SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                    1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                    2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                    3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                    4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                    Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                    Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                    SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                    When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                    stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                    higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                    interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                    Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                    Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                    1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                    2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                    World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                    Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                    SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                    1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                    2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                    3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                    J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                    Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                    SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                    1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                    2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                    3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                    SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                    Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                    SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                    atrial fibrillation

                    ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                    Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                    new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                    Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                    1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                    2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                    3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                    4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                    5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                    5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                    6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                    1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                    2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                    3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                    4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                    5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                    Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                    Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                    SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                    1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                    2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                    3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                    4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                    Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                    Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                    Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                    Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                    Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                    Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                    If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                    Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                    atrioesophageal fistula

                    systemic embolic events

                    perforationtamponade

                    Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                    coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                    view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                    ECG description

                    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                    150 bpm

                    No visible P waves preceding QRS

                    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                    Interpretation

                    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                    A closer look

                    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                    Adenosine effect

                    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                    AVNRT

                    Patient condition

                    Hemodynamic ally

                    stable Hemodynamic ally

                    unstble

                    Vagal maneuver

                    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                    To prevent recurrence

                    Drugs

                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                    Treatment of MAT

                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                    Avoid sedatives

                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                    Cardioversion in MAT

                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                    Surgical care

                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                    Atrial flutter

                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                    Emergency Department Care

                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                    Anti coagulation therapy

                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                    Questions

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                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                      RATE CONTROL STRATEGIES

                      Rate control with pharmacological therapy is the main stay of

                      therapy for persistent amp permanent cases of atrial fibrillation

                      Target HR - 80 to 100 bpm

                      Precautions --Beware agents which may cardiovert Atrial Fib gt48 hours Risk of embolic complications

                      Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

                      GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                      Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

                      Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

                      Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

                      GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                      Recommended agents

                      Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

                      Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

                      Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                      Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                      Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                      Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                      ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                      Propafenone Flecainide

                      Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                      Rhythm control

                      Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                      Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                      Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                      SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                      Abstract

                      In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                      For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                      Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                      Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                      Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                      In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                      In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                      Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                      Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                      In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                      In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                      Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                      Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                      In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                      External defibrillation

                      Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                      acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                      Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                      Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                      Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                      Recurrence after external defibrillation

                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                      OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                      Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                      bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                      bull Dilated left atrium

                      bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                      bull Too low energy

                      bull Technique

                      bull Other patient factors

                      J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                      SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                      AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                      ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                      CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                      C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                      Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                      Target INR-- 2-3

                      Others risk factors for embolism

                      1 Valvular heart diseases

                      2 Age 65-74 yrs

                      3 Female sex

                      4 Coronary artery disease

                      5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                      6 Systemic embolism

                      7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                      High risk catagories

                      1 Valvular heart disease

                      2 Prior ischemic stroke

                      3 ho systemic embolism

                      4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                      ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                      1 Age gt 85

                      2 Stroke and TIA

                      3 Pregnancy

                      4 Dental or surgical procedures

                      5 After Coronary revascularization

                      DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                      1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                      2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                      RE-LY study

                      3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                      apixaban endoxaban

                      AVERROES study

                      betrixaban

                      dabigatran Ximelagatran

                      Direct thrombin inhibition

                      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                      1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                      daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                      2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                      at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                      overall

                      Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                      Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                      SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                      1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                      2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                      3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                      4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                      Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                      Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                      SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                      When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                      stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                      higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                      interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                      Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                      Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                      1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                      2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                      World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                      Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                      SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                      1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                      2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                      3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                      J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                      Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                      SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                      1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                      2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                      3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                      SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                      Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                      SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                      atrial fibrillation

                      ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                      Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                      new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                      Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                      1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                      2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                      3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                      4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                      5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                      5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                      6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                      1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                      2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                      3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                      4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                      5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                      Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                      Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                      SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                      1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                      2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                      3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                      4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                      Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                      Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                      Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                      Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                      Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                      Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                      If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                      Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                      atrioesophageal fistula

                      systemic embolic events

                      perforationtamponade

                      Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                      coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                      view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                      AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                      ECG description

                      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                      150 bpm

                      No visible P waves preceding QRS

                      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                      Interpretation

                      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                      A closer look

                      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                      Adenosine effect

                      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                      AVNRT

                      Patient condition

                      Hemodynamic ally

                      stable Hemodynamic ally

                      unstble

                      Vagal maneuver

                      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                      To prevent recurrence

                      Drugs

                      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                      Treatment of MAT

                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                      Avoid sedatives

                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                      Cardioversion in MAT

                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                      Surgical care

                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                      Atrial flutter

                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                      Emergency Department Care

                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                      Anti coagulation therapy

                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                      Questions

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                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                        Protocol Rate control if Ejection Fraction lt40 (No WPW)

                        GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                        Recommended agentsDigoxin Amiodarone

                        Digitalis is more effective in controling the resting heart rateBeta blocker or diltiazem or verapamil may be combined with digitalis

                        Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

                        GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                        Recommended agents

                        Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

                        Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

                        Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                        Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                        Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                        Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                        ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                        Propafenone Flecainide

                        Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                        Rhythm control

                        Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                        Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                        Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                        SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                        Abstract

                        In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                        For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                        Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                        Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                        Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                        In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                        In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                        Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                        Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                        In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                        In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                        Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                        Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                        In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                        External defibrillation

                        Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                        acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                        Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                        Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                        Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                        Recurrence after external defibrillation

                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                        OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                        Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                        bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                        bull Dilated left atrium

                        bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                        bull Too low energy

                        bull Technique

                        bull Other patient factors

                        J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                        SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                        AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                        ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                        CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                        C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                        Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                        Target INR-- 2-3

                        Others risk factors for embolism

                        1 Valvular heart diseases

                        2 Age 65-74 yrs

                        3 Female sex

                        4 Coronary artery disease

                        5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                        6 Systemic embolism

                        7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                        High risk catagories

                        1 Valvular heart disease

                        2 Prior ischemic stroke

                        3 ho systemic embolism

                        4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                        ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                        1 Age gt 85

                        2 Stroke and TIA

                        3 Pregnancy

                        4 Dental or surgical procedures

                        5 After Coronary revascularization

                        DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                        1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                        2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                        RE-LY study

                        3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                        apixaban endoxaban

                        AVERROES study

                        betrixaban

                        dabigatran Ximelagatran

                        Direct thrombin inhibition

                        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                        1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                        daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                        2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                        at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                        overall

                        Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                        Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                        SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                        1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                        2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                        3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                        4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                        Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                        Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                        SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                        When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                        stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                        higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                        interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                        Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                        Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                        1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                        2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                        World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                        Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                        SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                        1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                        2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                        3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                        J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                        Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                        SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                        1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                        2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                        3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                        SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                        Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                        SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                        atrial fibrillation

                        ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                        Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                        new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                        Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                        1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                        2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                        3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                        4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                        5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                        5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                        6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                        1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                        2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                        3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                        4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                        5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                        Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                        Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                        SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                        1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                        2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                        3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                        4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                        Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                        Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                        Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                        Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                        Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                        Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                        If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                        Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                        atrioesophageal fistula

                        systemic embolic events

                        perforationtamponade

                        Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                        coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                        view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                        AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                        55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                        ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                        onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                        Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                        180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                        ECG description

                        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                        150 bpm

                        No visible P waves preceding QRS

                        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                        Interpretation

                        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                        A closer look

                        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                        Adenosine effect

                        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                        AVNRT

                        Patient condition

                        Hemodynamic ally

                        stable Hemodynamic ally

                        unstble

                        Vagal maneuver

                        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                        To prevent recurrence

                        Drugs

                        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                        Treatment of MAT

                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                        Avoid sedatives

                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                        Cardioversion in MAT

                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                        Surgical care

                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                        Atrial flutter

                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                        Emergency Department Care

                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                        Anti coagulation therapy

                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                        Questions

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                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                          Rate control if Heart function preserved (No WPW)

                          GeneralRisk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                          Recommended agents

                          Beta BlockerPropranolol Esmolol Metoprolol

                          Calcium Channel BlockerVerapamil Diltiazem - preferred

                          Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                          Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                          Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                          Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                          ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                          Propafenone Flecainide

                          Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                          Rhythm control

                          Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                          Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                          Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                          SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                          Abstract

                          In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                          For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                          Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                          Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                          Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                          In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                          In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                          Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                          Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                          In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                          In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                          Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                          Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                          In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                          External defibrillation

                          Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                          acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                          Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                          Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                          Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                          Recurrence after external defibrillation

                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                          OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                          Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                          bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                          bull Dilated left atrium

                          bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                          bull Too low energy

                          bull Technique

                          bull Other patient factors

                          J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                          SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                          AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                          ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                          CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                          C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                          Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                          Target INR-- 2-3

                          Others risk factors for embolism

                          1 Valvular heart diseases

                          2 Age 65-74 yrs

                          3 Female sex

                          4 Coronary artery disease

                          5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                          6 Systemic embolism

                          7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                          High risk catagories

                          1 Valvular heart disease

                          2 Prior ischemic stroke

                          3 ho systemic embolism

                          4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                          ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                          1 Age gt 85

                          2 Stroke and TIA

                          3 Pregnancy

                          4 Dental or surgical procedures

                          5 After Coronary revascularization

                          DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                          1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                          2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                          RE-LY study

                          3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                          apixaban endoxaban

                          AVERROES study

                          betrixaban

                          dabigatran Ximelagatran

                          Direct thrombin inhibition

                          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                          1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                          daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                          2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                          at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                          overall

                          Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                          Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                          SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                          1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                          2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                          3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                          4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                          Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                          Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                          SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                          When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                          stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                          higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                          interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                          Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                          Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                          1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                          2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                          World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                          Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                          SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                          1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                          2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                          3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                          J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                          Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                          SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                          1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                          2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                          3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                          SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                          Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                          SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                          atrial fibrillation

                          ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                          Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                          new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                          Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                          1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                          2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                          3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                          4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                          5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                          5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                          6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                          1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                          2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                          3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                          4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                          5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                          Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                          Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                          SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                          1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                          2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                          3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                          4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                          Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                          Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                          Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                          Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                          Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                          Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                          If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                          Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                          atrioesophageal fistula

                          systemic embolic events

                          perforationtamponade

                          Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                          coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                          view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                          AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                          55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                          ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                          onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                          Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                          180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                          ECG description

                          Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                          150 bpm

                          No visible P waves preceding QRS

                          Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                          Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                          Interpretation

                          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                          A closer look

                          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                          Adenosine effect

                          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                          AVNRT

                          Patient condition

                          Hemodynamic ally

                          stable Hemodynamic ally

                          unstble

                          Vagal maneuver

                          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                          To prevent recurrence

                          Drugs

                          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                          Treatment of MAT

                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                          Avoid sedatives

                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                          Cardioversion in MAT

                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                          Surgical care

                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                          Atrial flutter

                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                          Emergency Department Care

                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                          Anti coagulation therapy

                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                          Questions

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                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                            Rate Control if WPW Syndrome present

                            Risk of embolus if rhythm cardiovertsConsider Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation

                            Recommended agents (Use only 1 agent)

                            Electrical Synchronized Cardioversion if unstableClass IA Agents

                            ProcainamideClass IC Agents

                            Propafenone Flecainide

                            Class III AgentsAmiodarone Sotalol

                            Rhythm control

                            Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                            Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                            Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                            SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                            Abstract

                            In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                            For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                            Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                            Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                            Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                            In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                            In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                            Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                            Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                            In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                            In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                            Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                            Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                            In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                            External defibrillation

                            Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                            acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                            Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                            Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                            Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                            Recurrence after external defibrillation

                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                            OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                            Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                            bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                            bull Dilated left atrium

                            bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                            bull Too low energy

                            bull Technique

                            bull Other patient factors

                            J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                            SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                            AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                            ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                            CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                            C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                            Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                            Target INR-- 2-3

                            Others risk factors for embolism

                            1 Valvular heart diseases

                            2 Age 65-74 yrs

                            3 Female sex

                            4 Coronary artery disease

                            5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                            6 Systemic embolism

                            7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                            High risk catagories

                            1 Valvular heart disease

                            2 Prior ischemic stroke

                            3 ho systemic embolism

                            4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                            ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                            1 Age gt 85

                            2 Stroke and TIA

                            3 Pregnancy

                            4 Dental or surgical procedures

                            5 After Coronary revascularization

                            DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                            1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                            2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                            RE-LY study

                            3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                            apixaban endoxaban

                            AVERROES study

                            betrixaban

                            dabigatran Ximelagatran

                            Direct thrombin inhibition

                            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                            1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                            daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                            2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                            at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                            overall

                            Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                            Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                            SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                            1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                            2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                            3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                            4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                            Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                            Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                            SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                            When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                            stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                            higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                            interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                            Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                            Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                            1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                            2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                            World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                            Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                            SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                            1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                            2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                            3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                            J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                            Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                            SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                            1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                            2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                            3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                            SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                            Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                            SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                            atrial fibrillation

                            ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                            Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                            new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                            Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                            1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                            2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                            3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                            4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                            5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                            5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                            6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                            1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                            2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                            3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                            4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                            5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                            Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                            Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                            SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                            1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                            2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                            3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                            4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                            Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                            Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                            Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                            Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                            Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                            Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                            If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                            Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                            atrioesophageal fistula

                            systemic embolic events

                            perforationtamponade

                            Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                            coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                            view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                            AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                            55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                            ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                            onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                            Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                            180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                            ECG description

                            Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                            150 bpm

                            No visible P waves preceding QRS

                            Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                            Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                            Interpretation

                            A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                            However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                            The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                            With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                            A closer look

                            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                            Adenosine effect

                            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                            AVNRT

                            Patient condition

                            Hemodynamic ally

                            stable Hemodynamic ally

                            unstble

                            Vagal maneuver

                            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                            To prevent recurrence

                            Drugs

                            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                            Treatment of MAT

                            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                            Avoid sedatives

                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                            Cardioversion in MAT

                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                            Surgical care

                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                            Atrial flutter

                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                            Emergency Department Care

                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                            Anti coagulation therapy

                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                            Questions

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                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                              Rhythm control

                              Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                              Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                              Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                              SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                              Abstract

                              In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                              For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                              Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                              Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                              Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                              In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                              In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                              Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                              Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                              In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                              In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                              Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                              Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                              In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                              External defibrillation

                              Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                              acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                              Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                              Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                              Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                              Recurrence after external defibrillation

                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                              OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                              Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                              bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                              bull Dilated left atrium

                              bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                              bull Too low energy

                              bull Technique

                              bull Other patient factors

                              J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                              SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                              AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                              ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                              CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                              C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                              Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                              Target INR-- 2-3

                              Others risk factors for embolism

                              1 Valvular heart diseases

                              2 Age 65-74 yrs

                              3 Female sex

                              4 Coronary artery disease

                              5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                              6 Systemic embolism

                              7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                              High risk catagories

                              1 Valvular heart disease

                              2 Prior ischemic stroke

                              3 ho systemic embolism

                              4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                              ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                              1 Age gt 85

                              2 Stroke and TIA

                              3 Pregnancy

                              4 Dental or surgical procedures

                              5 After Coronary revascularization

                              DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                              1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                              2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                              RE-LY study

                              3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                              apixaban endoxaban

                              AVERROES study

                              betrixaban

                              dabigatran Ximelagatran

                              Direct thrombin inhibition

                              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                              1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                              daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                              2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                              at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                              overall

                              Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                              Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                              SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                              1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                              2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                              3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                              4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                              Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                              Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                              SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                              When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                              stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                              higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                              interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                              Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                              Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                              1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                              2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                              World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                              Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                              SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                              1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                              2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                              3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                              J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                              Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                              SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                              1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                              2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                              3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                              SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                              Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                              SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                              atrial fibrillation

                              ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                              Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                              new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                              Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                              1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                              2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                              3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                              4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                              5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                              5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                              6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                              1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                              2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                              3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                              4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                              5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                              Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                              Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                              SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                              1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                              2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                              3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                              4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                              Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                              Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                              Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                              Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                              Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                              Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                              If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                              Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                              atrioesophageal fistula

                              systemic embolic events

                              perforationtamponade

                              Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                              coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                              view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                              AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                              55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                              ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                              onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                              Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                              180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                              ECG description

                              Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                              150 bpm

                              No visible P waves preceding QRS

                              Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                              Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                              Interpretation

                              A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                              However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                              The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                              With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                              A closer look

                              However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                              Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                              In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                              The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                              Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                              Adenosine effect

                              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                              AVNRT

                              Patient condition

                              Hemodynamic ally

                              stable Hemodynamic ally

                              unstble

                              Vagal maneuver

                              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                              To prevent recurrence

                              Drugs

                              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                              Treatment of MAT

                              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                              Avoid sedatives

                              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                              Cardioversion in MAT

                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                              Surgical care

                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                              Atrial flutter

                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                              Emergency Department Care

                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                              Anti coagulation therapy

                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                              Questions

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                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                Am J Cardiol 2003 Mar 2091(6A)15D-26D

                                Old and new antiarrhythmic drugs for converting and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation comparative efficacy and results of trials

                                Naccarelli GV Wolbrette DL Khan M Bhatta L Hynes J Samii S Luck J

                                SourceDivision of Cardiology and the Penn State Cardiovascular Center Penn State University College of Medicine The Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey Pennsylvania 17033 USA gnaccarellipsuedu

                                Abstract

                                In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                                For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                                Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                                Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                                Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                                In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                                In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                                Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                                Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                                In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                                In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                                Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                                Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                                In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                                External defibrillation

                                Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                                acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                                Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                                Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                                Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                                Recurrence after external defibrillation

                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                bull Dilated left atrium

                                bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                bull Too low energy

                                bull Technique

                                bull Other patient factors

                                J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                Target INR-- 2-3

                                Others risk factors for embolism

                                1 Valvular heart diseases

                                2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                3 Female sex

                                4 Coronary artery disease

                                5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                6 Systemic embolism

                                7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                High risk catagories

                                1 Valvular heart disease

                                2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                3 ho systemic embolism

                                4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                1 Age gt 85

                                2 Stroke and TIA

                                3 Pregnancy

                                4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                5 After Coronary revascularization

                                DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                RE-LY study

                                3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                apixaban endoxaban

                                AVERROES study

                                betrixaban

                                dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                Direct thrombin inhibition

                                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                overall

                                Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                atrial fibrillation

                                ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                atrioesophageal fistula

                                systemic embolic events

                                perforationtamponade

                                Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                ECG description

                                Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                150 bpm

                                No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                Interpretation

                                A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                A closer look

                                However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                Adenosine effect

                                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                AVNRT

                                Patient condition

                                Hemodynamic ally

                                stable Hemodynamic ally

                                unstble

                                Vagal maneuver

                                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                To prevent recurrence

                                Drugs

                                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                Treatment of MAT

                                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                Avoid sedatives

                                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                Cardioversion in MAT

                                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                Surgical care

                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                Atrial flutter

                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                Emergency Department Care

                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                Questions

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                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                  Abstract

                                  In managing atrial fibrillation (AF) the main therapeutic strategies include rate control termination of the arrhythmia and the prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events Safety and efficacy considerations are important in optimizing the choice of an antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of AF Recently approved antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and promising investigational drugs such as azimilide and dronedarone may change the treatment landscape for AF

                                  For medical conversion of recent-onset AF class IC antiarrhythmic drugs administered as an oral bolus have been demonstrated to be the most efficacious pharmacologic conversion agents

                                  Intravenous ibutilide and oral dofetilide both have efficacies superior to placebo in controlled trials for converting persistent AF

                                  Comparative trials in paroxysmal AF have demonstrated that flecainide propafenone quinidine and sotalol are equally effective in preventing recurrences of AF

                                  Amiodarone has been demonstrated to be more efficacious than propafenone or sotalol in the Canadian Trial of Atrial Fibrillation

                                  In persistent AF twice-daily dofetilide has been shown to be as or more effective than low-dose sotalol given twice daily for the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with AF Trials have demonstrated that subjective adverse effects are less frequent with class IC drugs sotalol and dofetilide compared with such drugs as quinidine

                                  In patients without structural heart disease flecainide propafenone and DL-sotalol are the initial drugs of choice given their reasonable efficacy low incidence of subjective side effects and lack of significant end-organ toxicity

                                  Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                                  Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                                  In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                                  In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                                  Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                                  Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                                  In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                                  External defibrillation

                                  Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                                  acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                                  Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                                  Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                                  Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                                  Recurrence after external defibrillation

                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                  Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                  OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                  Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                  bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                  bull Dilated left atrium

                                  bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                  bull Too low energy

                                  bull Technique

                                  bull Other patient factors

                                  J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                  SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                  AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                  ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                  CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                  C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                  Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                  Target INR-- 2-3

                                  Others risk factors for embolism

                                  1 Valvular heart diseases

                                  2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                  3 Female sex

                                  4 Coronary artery disease

                                  5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                  6 Systemic embolism

                                  7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                  High risk catagories

                                  1 Valvular heart disease

                                  2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                  3 ho systemic embolism

                                  4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                  ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                  1 Age gt 85

                                  2 Stroke and TIA

                                  3 Pregnancy

                                  4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                  5 After Coronary revascularization

                                  DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                  1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                  2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                  RE-LY study

                                  3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                  apixaban endoxaban

                                  AVERROES study

                                  betrixaban

                                  dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                  Direct thrombin inhibition

                                  RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                  RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                  1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                  daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                  2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                  at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                  overall

                                  Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                  Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                  SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                  1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                  2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                  3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                  4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                  Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                  Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                  SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                  When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                  stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                  higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                  interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                  Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                  Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                  1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                  2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                  World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                  Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                  SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                  1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                  2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                  3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                  J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                  Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                  SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                  1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                  2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                  3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                  SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                  Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                  Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                  SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                  atrial fibrillation

                                  ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                  Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                  new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                  Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                  1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                  2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                  3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                  4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                  5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                  5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                  6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                  1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                  2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                  3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                  4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                  5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                  Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                  Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                  SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                  1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                  2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                  3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                  4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                  Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                  Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                  Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                  Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                  Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                  Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                  If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                  Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                  atrioesophageal fistula

                                  systemic embolic events

                                  perforationtamponade

                                  Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                  coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                  view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                  AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                  55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                  ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                  onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                  Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                  180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                  ECG description

                                  Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                  150 bpm

                                  No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                  Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                  Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                  Interpretation

                                  A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                  However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                  The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                  With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                  A closer look

                                  However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                  Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                  In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                  The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                  Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                  Adenosine effect

                                  Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                  AVNRT

                                  Patient condition

                                  Hemodynamic ally

                                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                                  unstble

                                  Vagal maneuver

                                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                  To prevent recurrence

                                  Drugs

                                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                  Treatment of MAT

                                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                  Avoid sedatives

                                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                  Cardioversion in MAT

                                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                  Surgical care

                                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                  Atrial flutter

                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                  Emergency Department Care

                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                  Questions

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                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                    Treating AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction can be difficult because of associated electrophysiologic derangements potential proarrhythmic concerns and negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmics

                                    Some data exist suggesting that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can prevent AF either by preventing atrial dilation and stretch-induced arrhythmias or by blocking the renin-angiotensin system

                                    In post-myocardial infarction patients DL-sotalol dofetilide and amiodarone-and in congestive heart failure patients amiodarone and dofetilide-have demonstrated neutral effects on survival in controlled trials

                                    In the Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) amiodarone lowered the frequency of AF development and improved left ventricular ejection fraction over time In CHF-STAT there was lower mortality in patients who converted from AF to sinus rhythm

                                    Dofetilide decreased rehospitalization for congestive heart failure in the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) trials

                                    Neutral effects on survival and favorable hemodynamics have positioned amiodarone and dofetilide as the antiarrhythmics of choice in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

                                    In post-myocardial infarction patients sotalol is an additional agent to consider for treatment of AF in this setting

                                    External defibrillation

                                    Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                                    acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                                    Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                                    Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                                    Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                                    Recurrence after external defibrillation

                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                    OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                    Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                    bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                    bull Dilated left atrium

                                    bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                    bull Too low energy

                                    bull Technique

                                    bull Other patient factors

                                    J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                    SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                    AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                    ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                    CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                    C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                    Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                    Target INR-- 2-3

                                    Others risk factors for embolism

                                    1 Valvular heart diseases

                                    2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                    3 Female sex

                                    4 Coronary artery disease

                                    5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                    6 Systemic embolism

                                    7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                    High risk catagories

                                    1 Valvular heart disease

                                    2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                    3 ho systemic embolism

                                    4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                    ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                    1 Age gt 85

                                    2 Stroke and TIA

                                    3 Pregnancy

                                    4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                    5 After Coronary revascularization

                                    DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                    1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                    2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                    RE-LY study

                                    3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                    apixaban endoxaban

                                    AVERROES study

                                    betrixaban

                                    dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                    Direct thrombin inhibition

                                    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                    1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                    daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                    2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                    at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                    overall

                                    Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                    Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                    SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                    1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                    2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                    3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                    4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                    Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                    Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                    SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                    When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                    stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                    higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                    interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                    Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                    Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                    1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                    2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                    World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                    Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                    SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                    1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                    2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                    3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                    J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                    Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                    SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                    1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                    2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                    3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                    SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                    Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                    SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                    atrial fibrillation

                                    ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                    Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                    new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                    Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                    1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                    2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                    3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                    4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                    5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                    5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                    6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                    1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                    2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                    3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                    4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                    5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                    Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                    Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                    SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                    1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                    2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                    3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                    4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                    Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                    Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                    Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                    Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                    Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                    Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                    If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                    Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                    atrioesophageal fistula

                                    systemic embolic events

                                    perforationtamponade

                                    Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                    coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                    view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                    ECG description

                                    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                    150 bpm

                                    No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                    Interpretation

                                    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                    A closer look

                                    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                    Adenosine effect

                                    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                    AVNRT

                                    Patient condition

                                    Hemodynamic ally

                                    stable Hemodynamic ally

                                    unstble

                                    Vagal maneuver

                                    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                    To prevent recurrence

                                    Drugs

                                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                    Treatment of MAT

                                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                    Avoid sedatives

                                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                    Cardioversion in MAT

                                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                    Surgical care

                                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                    Atrial flutter

                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                    Emergency Department Care

                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                    Questions

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                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                      External defibrillation

                                      Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                                      acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                                      Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                                      Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                                      Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                                      Recurrence after external defibrillation

                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                      OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                      Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                      bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                      bull Dilated left atrium

                                      bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                      bull Too low energy

                                      bull Technique

                                      bull Other patient factors

                                      J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                      SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                      AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                      ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                      CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                      C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                      Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                      Target INR-- 2-3

                                      Others risk factors for embolism

                                      1 Valvular heart diseases

                                      2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                      3 Female sex

                                      4 Coronary artery disease

                                      5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                      6 Systemic embolism

                                      7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                      High risk catagories

                                      1 Valvular heart disease

                                      2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                      3 ho systemic embolism

                                      4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                      ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                      1 Age gt 85

                                      2 Stroke and TIA

                                      3 Pregnancy

                                      4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                      5 After Coronary revascularization

                                      DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                      1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                      2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                      RE-LY study

                                      3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                      apixaban endoxaban

                                      AVERROES study

                                      betrixaban

                                      dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                      Direct thrombin inhibition

                                      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                      1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                      daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                      2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                      at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                      overall

                                      Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                      Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                      SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                      1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                      2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                      3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                      4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                      Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                      Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                      SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                      When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                      stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                      higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                      interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                      Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                      Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                      1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                      2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                      World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                      Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                      SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                      1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                      2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                      3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                      J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                      Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                      SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                      1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                      2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                      3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                      SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                      Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                      SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                      atrial fibrillation

                                      ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                      Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                      new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                      Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                      1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                      2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                      3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                      4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                      5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                      5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                      6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                      1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                      2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                      3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                      4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                      5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                      Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                      Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                      SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                      1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                      2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                      3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                      4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                      Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                      Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                      Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                      Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                      Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                      Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                      If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                      Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                      atrioesophageal fistula

                                      systemic embolic events

                                      perforationtamponade

                                      Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                      coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                      view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                      AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                      ECG description

                                      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                      150 bpm

                                      No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                      Interpretation

                                      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                      A closer look

                                      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                      Adenosine effect

                                      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                      AVNRT

                                      Patient condition

                                      Hemodynamic ally

                                      stable Hemodynamic ally

                                      unstble

                                      Vagal maneuver

                                      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                      To prevent recurrence

                                      Drugs

                                      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                      Treatment of MAT

                                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                      Avoid sedatives

                                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                      Cardioversion in MAT

                                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                      Surgical care

                                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                      Atrial flutter

                                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                      Emergency Department Care

                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                      Questions

                                      • Slide 1
                                      • Slide 2
                                      • Slide 3
                                      • Slide 4
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                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                      • Slide 13
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                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                      • Slide 33
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                                        Termination of AF by electrical defibrillator

                                        acutely may be warranted based on clinical parameters andor hemodynamic status

                                        Confirmation of appropriate anticoagulation must be documented unless symptoms and clinical status warrant emergent intervention

                                        Direct current transthoracic cardioversion during short-acting anesthesia is a reliable way to terminate AF

                                        Conversion rates using a 200-J biphasic shock delivered synchronously with the QRS complex typically are gt90

                                        Recurrence after external defibrillation

                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                        OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                        Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                        bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                        bull Dilated left atrium

                                        bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                        bull Too low energy

                                        bull Technique

                                        bull Other patient factors

                                        J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                        SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                        AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                        ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                        CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                        C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                        Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                        Target INR-- 2-3

                                        Others risk factors for embolism

                                        1 Valvular heart diseases

                                        2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                        3 Female sex

                                        4 Coronary artery disease

                                        5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                        6 Systemic embolism

                                        7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                        High risk catagories

                                        1 Valvular heart disease

                                        2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                        3 ho systemic embolism

                                        4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                        ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                        1 Age gt 85

                                        2 Stroke and TIA

                                        3 Pregnancy

                                        4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                        5 After Coronary revascularization

                                        DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                        1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                        2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                        RE-LY study

                                        3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                        apixaban endoxaban

                                        AVERROES study

                                        betrixaban

                                        dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                        Direct thrombin inhibition

                                        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                        1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                        daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                        2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                        at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                        overall

                                        Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                        Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                        SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                        1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                        2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                        3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                        4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                        Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                        Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                        SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                        When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                        stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                        higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                        interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                        Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                        Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                        1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                        2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                        World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                        Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                        SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                        1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                        2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                        3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                        J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                        Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                        SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                        1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                        2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                        3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                        SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                        Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                        SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                        atrial fibrillation

                                        ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                        Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                        new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                        Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                        1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                        2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                        3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                        4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                        5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                        5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                        6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                        1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                        2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                        3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                        4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                        5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                        Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                        Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                        SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                        1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                        2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                        3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                        4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                        Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                        Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                        Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                        Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                        Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                        Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                        If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                        Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                        atrioesophageal fistula

                                        systemic embolic events

                                        perforationtamponade

                                        Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                        coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                        view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                        AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                        55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                        ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                        onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                        Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                        180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                        ECG description

                                        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                        150 bpm

                                        No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                        Interpretation

                                        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                        A closer look

                                        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                        Adenosine effect

                                        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                        AVNRT

                                        Patient condition

                                        Hemodynamic ally

                                        stable Hemodynamic ally

                                        unstble

                                        Vagal maneuver

                                        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                        To prevent recurrence

                                        Drugs

                                        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                        Treatment of MAT

                                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                        Avoid sedatives

                                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                        Cardioversion in MAT

                                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                        Surgical care

                                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                        Atrial flutter

                                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                        Emergency Department Care

                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                        Questions

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                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                          Recurrence after external defibrillation

                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                          OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                          Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                          bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                          bull Dilated left atrium

                                          bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                          bull Too low energy

                                          bull Technique

                                          bull Other patient factors

                                          J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                          SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                          AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                          ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                          CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                          C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                          Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                          Target INR-- 2-3

                                          Others risk factors for embolism

                                          1 Valvular heart diseases

                                          2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                          3 Female sex

                                          4 Coronary artery disease

                                          5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                          6 Systemic embolism

                                          7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                          High risk catagories

                                          1 Valvular heart disease

                                          2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                          3 ho systemic embolism

                                          4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                          ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                          1 Age gt 85

                                          2 Stroke and TIA

                                          3 Pregnancy

                                          4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                          5 After Coronary revascularization

                                          DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                          1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                          2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                          RE-LY study

                                          3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                          apixaban endoxaban

                                          AVERROES study

                                          betrixaban

                                          dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                          Direct thrombin inhibition

                                          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                          1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                          daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                          2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                          at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                          overall

                                          Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                          Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                          SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                          1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                          2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                          3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                          4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                          Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                          Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                          SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                          When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                          stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                          higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                          interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                          Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                          Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                          1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                          2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                          World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                          Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                          SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                          1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                          2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                          3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                          J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                          Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                          SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                          1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                          2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                          3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                          SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                          Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                          SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                          atrial fibrillation

                                          ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                          Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                          new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                          Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                          1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                          2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                          3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                          4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                          5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                          5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                          6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                          1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                          2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                          3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                          4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                          5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                          Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                          Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                          SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                          1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                          2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                          3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                          4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                          Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                          Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                          Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                          Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                          Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                          Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                          If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                          Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                          atrioesophageal fistula

                                          systemic embolic events

                                          perforationtamponade

                                          Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                          coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                          view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                          AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                          55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                          ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                          onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                          Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                          180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                          ECG description

                                          Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                          150 bpm

                                          No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                          Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                          Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                          Interpretation

                                          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                          A closer look

                                          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                          Adenosine effect

                                          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                          AVNRT

                                          Patient condition

                                          Hemodynamic ally

                                          stable Hemodynamic ally

                                          unstble

                                          Vagal maneuver

                                          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                          To prevent recurrence

                                          Drugs

                                          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                          Treatment of MAT

                                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                          Avoid sedatives

                                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                          Cardioversion in MAT

                                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                          Surgical care

                                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                          Atrial flutter

                                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                          Emergency Department Care

                                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                          Anti coagulation therapy

                                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                          Questions

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                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos PSourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of ChinaAbstract

                                            OBJECTIVESWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the association between baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful electrical cardioversion (EC)BACKGROUNDCurrent evidence links AF to the inflammatory state Inflammatory indexes such as CRP have been related to the development and persistence of AF However inconsistent results have been published with regard to the role of CRP in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after successful ECMETHODSUsing PubMed the Cochrane clinical trials database and EMBASE we searched for literature published June 2006 or earlier In addition a manual search was performed using all review articles on this topic reference lists of papers and abstracts from conference reports Of the 225 initially identified studies 7 prospective observational studies with 420 patients (229 with and 191 without AF relapse) were finally analyzedRESULTSOverall baseline CRP levels were greater in patients with AF recurrence The standardized mean difference in the CRP levels between the patients with and those without AF was 035 units (95 confidence interval 001 to 069) test for overall effect z-score = 200 (p = 005) The heterogeneity test showed that there were significant differences between individual studies (p = 002 I(2) = 602) Further analysis revealed that differences between the CRP assays possibly account for this heterogeneityCONCLUSIONSOur meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                            Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                            bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                            bull Dilated left atrium

                                            bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                            bull Too low energy

                                            bull Technique

                                            bull Other patient factors

                                            J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                            SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                            AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                            ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                            CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                            C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                            Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                            Target INR-- 2-3

                                            Others risk factors for embolism

                                            1 Valvular heart diseases

                                            2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                            3 Female sex

                                            4 Coronary artery disease

                                            5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                            6 Systemic embolism

                                            7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                            High risk catagories

                                            1 Valvular heart disease

                                            2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                            3 ho systemic embolism

                                            4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                            ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                            1 Age gt 85

                                            2 Stroke and TIA

                                            3 Pregnancy

                                            4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                            5 After Coronary revascularization

                                            DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                            1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                            2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                            RE-LY study

                                            3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                            apixaban endoxaban

                                            AVERROES study

                                            betrixaban

                                            dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                            Direct thrombin inhibition

                                            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                            1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                            daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                            2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                            at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                            overall

                                            Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                            Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                            SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                            1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                            2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                            3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                            4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                            Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                            Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                            SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                            When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                            stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                            higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                            interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                            Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                            Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                            1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                            2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                            World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                            Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                            SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                            1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                            2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                            3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                            J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                            Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                            SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                            1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                            2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                            3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                            SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                            Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                            SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                            atrial fibrillation

                                            ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                            Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                            new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                            Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                            1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                            2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                            3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                            4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                            5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                            5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                            6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                            1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                            2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                            3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                            4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                            5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                            Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                            Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                            SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                            1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                            2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                            3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                            4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                            Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                            Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                            Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                            Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                            Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                            Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                            If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                            Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                            atrioesophageal fistula

                                            systemic embolic events

                                            perforationtamponade

                                            Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                            coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                            view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                            AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                            55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                            ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                            onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                            Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                            180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                            ECG description

                                            Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                            150 bpm

                                            No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                            Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                            Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                            Interpretation

                                            A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                            However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                            The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                            With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                            A closer look

                                            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                            Adenosine effect

                                            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                            AVNRT

                                            Patient condition

                                            Hemodynamic ally

                                            stable Hemodynamic ally

                                            unstble

                                            Vagal maneuver

                                            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                            To prevent recurrence

                                            Drugs

                                            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                            Treatment of MAT

                                            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                            Avoid sedatives

                                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                            Cardioversion in MAT

                                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                            Surgical care

                                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                            Atrial flutter

                                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                            Emergency Department Care

                                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                            Anti coagulation therapy

                                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                            Questions

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                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                              Factors Associated With Failed Cardioversion

                                              bull Underlying illnessmdashcongestive heart failure thyrotoxicosis valvular disease

                                              bull Dilated left atrium

                                              bull Longer duration of atrial fibrillation

                                              bull Too low energy

                                              bull Technique

                                              bull Other patient factors

                                              J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                              SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                              AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                              ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                              CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                              C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                              Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                              Target INR-- 2-3

                                              Others risk factors for embolism

                                              1 Valvular heart diseases

                                              2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                              3 Female sex

                                              4 Coronary artery disease

                                              5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                              6 Systemic embolism

                                              7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                              High risk catagories

                                              1 Valvular heart disease

                                              2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                              3 ho systemic embolism

                                              4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                              ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                              1 Age gt 85

                                              2 Stroke and TIA

                                              3 Pregnancy

                                              4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                              5 After Coronary revascularization

                                              DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                              1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                              2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                              RE-LY study

                                              3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                              apixaban endoxaban

                                              AVERROES study

                                              betrixaban

                                              dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                              Direct thrombin inhibition

                                              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                              1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                              daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                              2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                              at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                              overall

                                              Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                              Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                              SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                              1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                              2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                              3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                              4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                              Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                              Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                              SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                              When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                              stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                              higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                              interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                              Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                              Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                              1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                              2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                              World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                              Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                              SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                              1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                              2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                              3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                              J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                              Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                              SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                              1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                              2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                              3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                              SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                              Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                              SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                              atrial fibrillation

                                              ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                              Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                              new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                              Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                              1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                              2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                              3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                              4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                              5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                              5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                              6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                              1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                              2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                              3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                              4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                              5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                              Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                              Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                              SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                              1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                              2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                              3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                              4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                              Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                              Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                              Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                              Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                              Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                              Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                              If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                              Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                              atrioesophageal fistula

                                              systemic embolic events

                                              perforationtamponade

                                              Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                              coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                              view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                              AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                              55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                              ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                              onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                              Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                              180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                              ECG description

                                              Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                              150 bpm

                                              No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                              Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                              Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                              Interpretation

                                              A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                              However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                              The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                              With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                              A closer look

                                              However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                              Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                              In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                              The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                              Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                              Adenosine effect

                                              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                              AVNRT

                                              Patient condition

                                              Hemodynamic ally

                                              stable Hemodynamic ally

                                              unstble

                                              Vagal maneuver

                                              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                              To prevent recurrence

                                              Drugs

                                              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                              Treatment of MAT

                                              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                              Avoid sedatives

                                              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                              Cardioversion in MAT

                                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                              Surgical care

                                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                              Atrial flutter

                                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                              Emergency Department Care

                                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                              Anti coagulation therapy

                                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                              Questions

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                                              • Slide 10
                                              • Slide 11
                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                              • Slide 13
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                                              • Slide 15
                                              • Slide 16
                                              • Slide 17
                                              • Slide 18
                                              • Slide 19
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                                              • Slide 25
                                              • Slide 26
                                              • Slide 27
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                                              • Slide 30
                                              • Slide 31
                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                              • Slide 33
                                              • Slide 34
                                              • Slide 35
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                                              • Slide 37
                                              • Slide 38
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                                                J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2005 Aug13 Suppl 161-6Internal defibrillation where we have been and where we should be goingLeacutevy S

                                                SourceDivision of Cardiology School of Medicine University of Marseille Chemin des Bourrellys Marseille France samuelsamuel-levycom

                                                AbstractInternal cardioversion has been developed as an alternative technique for patients who are resistant to external DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was found to be associated with higher success rates It used initially high energies (200-300 J) delivered between an intracardiac catheter and a backplate Subsequent studies have shown that it is possible to terminate with energies of 1 to 6 Joules paroxysmal or induced AF in 90 percent of patients and persistent AF in 75 percent of patients using biphasic shocks delivered between a right atrium-coronary sinus vectors Consequently internal atrial defibrillation can be performed under sedation only without the need for general anesthesia Recently developed external defibrillators capable of delivering biphasic shocks have increased the success rates of external cardioversion and reduced the need for internal cardioversion However internal defibrillation is still useful in overweight or obese patients in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma who are more difficult to defibrillate and in patients with implanted devices which may be injured by high energy shocks Low energy internal defibrillation has also proven to be safe and this has prompted the development of implantable devices for terminating AF The first device used was the Metrix system a stand-alone atrial defibrillator (without ventricular defibrillation) which was found to be safe and effective in selected groups of patients Unfortunately this device is no longer being marketed Only double chamber defibrillators with pacing capabilities are presently available the Medtronic GEM III AT an updated version of the Jewel AF and the Guidant PRIZM AVT These devices can be patient-activated or programmed to deliver automatically ounce atrial tachyarrhythmias are detected therapies including pacing orand shocks Attempts to define the group of patients who might benefit from these devices are described but the respective role of atrial defibrillators versus other non-pharmacologic therapies for AF such as surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation remains to be determined Advantages and limitations or atrial defibrillators and approaches to reduce shock related discomfort which may be a concern in some patients are reviewed Studies have shown that despite shock discomfort quality of life was improved in patients with atrial defibrillators and the need for repeated hospitalizations was reduced The cost of these devices remains a concern for the treatment of a non-lethal arrhythmia Attention that atrial defibrillators will receive from cardiologists and from the industry in the future will depend of the long-term results of other non-pharmacological options and of the identification of the group of AF patients which will require restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm But there is no doubt that selected subsets of patients with AF could benefit from atrial defibrillation

                                                ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                                C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                                Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                                Target INR-- 2-3

                                                Others risk factors for embolism

                                                1 Valvular heart diseases

                                                2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                                3 Female sex

                                                4 Coronary artery disease

                                                5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                6 Systemic embolism

                                                7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                                High risk catagories

                                                1 Valvular heart disease

                                                2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                                3 ho systemic embolism

                                                4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                                1 Age gt 85

                                                2 Stroke and TIA

                                                3 Pregnancy

                                                4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                                5 After Coronary revascularization

                                                DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                RE-LY study

                                                3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                apixaban endoxaban

                                                AVERROES study

                                                betrixaban

                                                dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                overall

                                                Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                atrial fibrillation

                                                ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                atrioesophageal fistula

                                                systemic embolic events

                                                perforationtamponade

                                                Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                ECG description

                                                Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                150 bpm

                                                No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                Interpretation

                                                A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                A closer look

                                                However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                Adenosine effect

                                                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                AVNRT

                                                Patient condition

                                                Hemodynamic ally

                                                stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                unstble

                                                Vagal maneuver

                                                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                To prevent recurrence

                                                Drugs

                                                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                Treatment of MAT

                                                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                Avoid sedatives

                                                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                Cardioversion in MAT

                                                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                Surgical care

                                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                Atrial flutter

                                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                Emergency Department Care

                                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                Questions

                                                • Slide 1
                                                • Slide 2
                                                • Slide 3
                                                • Slide 4
                                                • Slide 5
                                                • Slide 6
                                                • Slide 7
                                                • Slide 8
                                                • Slide 9
                                                • Slide 10
                                                • Slide 11
                                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                • Slide 13
                                                • Slide 14
                                                • Slide 15
                                                • Slide 16
                                                • Slide 17
                                                • Slide 18
                                                • Slide 19
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                                                • Slide 25
                                                • Slide 26
                                                • Slide 27
                                                • Slide 28
                                                • Slide 29
                                                • Slide 30
                                                • Slide 31
                                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                • Slide 33
                                                • Slide 34
                                                • Slide 35
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                                                • Slide 37
                                                • Slide 38
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                                                • Slide 78
                                                • Slide 79
                                                • Slide 80
                                                • Slide 81

                                                  ANTI - COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                  CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                                  C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                                  Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                                  Target INR-- 2-3

                                                  Others risk factors for embolism

                                                  1 Valvular heart diseases

                                                  2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                                  3 Female sex

                                                  4 Coronary artery disease

                                                  5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                  6 Systemic embolism

                                                  7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                                  High risk catagories

                                                  1 Valvular heart disease

                                                  2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                                  3 ho systemic embolism

                                                  4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                  ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                                  1 Age gt 85

                                                  2 Stroke and TIA

                                                  3 Pregnancy

                                                  4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                                  5 After Coronary revascularization

                                                  DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                  1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                  2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                  RE-LY study

                                                  3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                  apixaban endoxaban

                                                  AVERROES study

                                                  betrixaban

                                                  dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                  Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                  RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                  RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                  1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                  daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                  2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                  at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                  overall

                                                  Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                  Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                  SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                  1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                  2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                  3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                  4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                  Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                  Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                  SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                  When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                  stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                  higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                  interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                  Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                  Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                  1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                  2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                  World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                  Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                  SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                  1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                  2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                  3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                  J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                  Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                  SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                  1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                  2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                  3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                  SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                  Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                  Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                  SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                  atrial fibrillation

                                                  ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                  Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                  new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                  Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                  1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                  2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                  3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                  4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                  5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                  5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                  6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                  1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                  2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                  3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                  4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                  5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                  Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                  Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                  SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                  1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                  2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                  3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                  4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                  Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                  Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                  Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                  Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                  Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                  Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                  If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                  Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                  atrioesophageal fistula

                                                  systemic embolic events

                                                  perforationtamponade

                                                  Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                  coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                  view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                  AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                  55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                  ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                  onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                  Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                  180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                  ECG description

                                                  Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                  150 bpm

                                                  No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                  Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                  Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                  Interpretation

                                                  A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                  However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                  The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                  With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                  A closer look

                                                  However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                  Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                  In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                  The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                  Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                  Adenosine effect

                                                  Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                  AVNRT

                                                  Patient condition

                                                  Hemodynamic ally

                                                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                  unstble

                                                  Vagal maneuver

                                                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                  To prevent recurrence

                                                  Drugs

                                                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                  Treatment of MAT

                                                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                  Avoid sedatives

                                                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                  Cardioversion in MAT

                                                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                  Surgical care

                                                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                  Atrial flutter

                                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                  Emergency Department Care

                                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                  Questions

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                                                  • Slide 9
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                                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                  • Slide 13
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                                                  • Slide 15
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                                                  • Slide 17
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                                                  • Slide 30
                                                  • Slide 31
                                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                  • Slide 33
                                                  • Slide 34
                                                  • Slide 35
                                                  • Slide 36
                                                  • Slide 37
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                                                  • Slide 81

                                                    CHADS2 score (2001) CHA2DS2-VASc(2010)

                                                    C-- Cardiac failureH-- HypertensionA-- Age D-- DiabetesS-- Stroke Vndash vascular disease( prior myocardial infarction perferal vascular disease aortic plaque )Sc -- sex category

                                                    Score = 0-1 Score = 2 or more than 2

                                                    Target INR-- 2-3

                                                    Others risk factors for embolism

                                                    1 Valvular heart diseases

                                                    2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                                    3 Female sex

                                                    4 Coronary artery disease

                                                    5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                    6 Systemic embolism

                                                    7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                                    High risk catagories

                                                    1 Valvular heart disease

                                                    2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                                    3 ho systemic embolism

                                                    4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                    ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                                    1 Age gt 85

                                                    2 Stroke and TIA

                                                    3 Pregnancy

                                                    4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                                    5 After Coronary revascularization

                                                    DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                    1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                    2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                    RE-LY study

                                                    3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                    apixaban endoxaban

                                                    AVERROES study

                                                    betrixaban

                                                    dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                    Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                    RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                    1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                    daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                    2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                    at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                    overall

                                                    Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                    Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                    SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                    1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                    2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                    3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                    4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                    Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                    Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                    SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                    When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                    stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                    higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                    interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                    Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                    Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                    1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                    2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                    World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                    Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                    SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                    1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                    2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                    3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                    J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                    Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                    SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                    1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                    2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                    3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                    SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                    Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                    SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                    atrial fibrillation

                                                    ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                    Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                    new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                    Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                    1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                    2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                    3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                    4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                    5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                    5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                    6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                    1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                    2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                    3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                    4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                    5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                    Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                    Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                    SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                    1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                    2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                    3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                    4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                    Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                    Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                    Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                    Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                    Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                    Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                    If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                    Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                    atrioesophageal fistula

                                                    systemic embolic events

                                                    perforationtamponade

                                                    Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                    coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                    view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                    ECG description

                                                    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                    150 bpm

                                                    No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                    Interpretation

                                                    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                    A closer look

                                                    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                    Adenosine effect

                                                    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                    AVNRT

                                                    Patient condition

                                                    Hemodynamic ally

                                                    stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                    unstble

                                                    Vagal maneuver

                                                    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                    To prevent recurrence

                                                    Drugs

                                                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                    Treatment of MAT

                                                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                    Avoid sedatives

                                                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                    Cardioversion in MAT

                                                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                    Surgical care

                                                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                    Atrial flutter

                                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                    Emergency Department Care

                                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                    Questions

                                                    • Slide 1
                                                    • Slide 2
                                                    • Slide 3
                                                    • Slide 4
                                                    • Slide 5
                                                    • Slide 6
                                                    • Slide 7
                                                    • Slide 8
                                                    • Slide 9
                                                    • Slide 10
                                                    • Slide 11
                                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                    • Slide 13
                                                    • Slide 14
                                                    • Slide 15
                                                    • Slide 16
                                                    • Slide 17
                                                    • Slide 18
                                                    • Slide 19
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                                                    • Slide 26
                                                    • Slide 27
                                                    • Slide 28
                                                    • Slide 29
                                                    • Slide 30
                                                    • Slide 31
                                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                    • Slide 33
                                                    • Slide 34
                                                    • Slide 35
                                                    • Slide 36
                                                    • Slide 37
                                                    • Slide 38
                                                    • Slide 39
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                                                    • Slide 78
                                                    • Slide 79
                                                    • Slide 80
                                                    • Slide 81

                                                      Others risk factors for embolism

                                                      1 Valvular heart diseases

                                                      2 Age 65-74 yrs

                                                      3 Female sex

                                                      4 Coronary artery disease

                                                      5 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                      6 Systemic embolism

                                                      7 Marked left atrial enlargement (gt50 cm)

                                                      High risk catagories

                                                      1 Valvular heart disease

                                                      2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                                      3 ho systemic embolism

                                                      4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                      ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                                      1 Age gt 85

                                                      2 Stroke and TIA

                                                      3 Pregnancy

                                                      4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                                      5 After Coronary revascularization

                                                      DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                      1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                      2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                      RE-LY study

                                                      3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                      apixaban endoxaban

                                                      AVERROES study

                                                      betrixaban

                                                      dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                      Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                      RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                      1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                      daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                      2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                      at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                      overall

                                                      Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                      Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                      SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                      1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                      2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                      3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                      4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                      Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                      Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                      SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                      When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                      stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                      higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                      interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                      Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                      Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                      1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                      2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                      World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                      Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                      SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                      1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                      2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                      3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                      J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                      Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                      SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                      1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                      2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                      3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                      SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                      Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                      SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                      atrial fibrillation

                                                      ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                      Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                      new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                      Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                      1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                      2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                      3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                      4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                      5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                      5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                      6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                      1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                      2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                      3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                      4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                      5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                      Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                      Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                      SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                      1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                      2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                      3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                      4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                      Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                      Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                      Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                      Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                      Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                      Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                      If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                      Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                      atrioesophageal fistula

                                                      systemic embolic events

                                                      perforationtamponade

                                                      Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                      coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                      view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                      AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                      ECG description

                                                      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                      150 bpm

                                                      No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                      Interpretation

                                                      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                      A closer look

                                                      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                      Adenosine effect

                                                      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                      AVNRT

                                                      Patient condition

                                                      Hemodynamic ally

                                                      stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                      unstble

                                                      Vagal maneuver

                                                      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                      To prevent recurrence

                                                      Drugs

                                                      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                      Treatment of MAT

                                                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                      Avoid sedatives

                                                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                      Cardioversion in MAT

                                                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                      Surgical care

                                                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                      Atrial flutter

                                                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                      Emergency Department Care

                                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                      Questions

                                                      • Slide 1
                                                      • Slide 2
                                                      • Slide 3
                                                      • Slide 4
                                                      • Slide 5
                                                      • Slide 6
                                                      • Slide 7
                                                      • Slide 8
                                                      • Slide 9
                                                      • Slide 10
                                                      • Slide 11
                                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                      • Slide 13
                                                      • Slide 14
                                                      • Slide 15
                                                      • Slide 16
                                                      • Slide 17
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                                                      • Slide 31
                                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                      • Slide 33
                                                      • Slide 34
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                                                      • Slide 36
                                                      • Slide 37
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                                                      • Slide 81

                                                        High risk catagories

                                                        1 Valvular heart disease

                                                        2 Prior ischemic stroke

                                                        3 ho systemic embolism

                                                        4 Mechanical prosthetic valve

                                                        ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                                        1 Age gt 85

                                                        2 Stroke and TIA

                                                        3 Pregnancy

                                                        4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                                        5 After Coronary revascularization

                                                        DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                        1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                        2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                        RE-LY study

                                                        3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                        apixaban endoxaban

                                                        AVERROES study

                                                        betrixaban

                                                        dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                        Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                        RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                        1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                        daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                        2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                        at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                        overall

                                                        Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                        Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                        SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                        1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                        2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                        3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                        4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                        Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                        Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                        SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                        When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                        stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                        higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                        interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                        Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                        Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                        1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                        2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                        World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                        Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                        SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                        1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                        2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                        3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                        J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                        Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                        SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                        1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                        2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                        3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                        SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                        Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                        SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                        atrial fibrillation

                                                        ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                        Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                        new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                        Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                        1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                        2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                        3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                        4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                        5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                        5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                        6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                        1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                        2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                        3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                        4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                        5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                        Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                        Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                        SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                        1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                        2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                        3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                        4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                        Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                        Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                        Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                        Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                        Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                        Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                        If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                        Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                        atrioesophageal fistula

                                                        systemic embolic events

                                                        perforationtamponade

                                                        Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                        coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                        view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                        AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                        55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                        ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                        onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                        Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                        180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                        ECG description

                                                        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                        150 bpm

                                                        No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                        Interpretation

                                                        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                        A closer look

                                                        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                        Adenosine effect

                                                        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                        AVNRT

                                                        Patient condition

                                                        Hemodynamic ally

                                                        stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                        unstble

                                                        Vagal maneuver

                                                        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                        To prevent recurrence

                                                        Drugs

                                                        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                        Treatment of MAT

                                                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                        Avoid sedatives

                                                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                        Cardioversion in MAT

                                                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                        Surgical care

                                                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                        Atrial flutter

                                                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                        Emergency Department Care

                                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                        Questions

                                                        • Slide 1
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                                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                        • Slide 13
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                                                        • Slide 31
                                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                        • Slide 33
                                                        • Slide 34
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                                                        • Slide 37
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                                                        • Slide 81

                                                          ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY IN SPECIAL CONDITIONS

                                                          1 Age gt 85

                                                          2 Stroke and TIA

                                                          3 Pregnancy

                                                          4 Dental or surgical procedures

                                                          5 After Coronary revascularization

                                                          DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                          1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                          2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                          RE-LY study

                                                          3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                          apixaban endoxaban

                                                          AVERROES study

                                                          betrixaban

                                                          dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                          Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                          RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                          1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                          daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                          2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                          at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                          overall

                                                          Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                          Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                          SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                          1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                          2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                          3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                          4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                          Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                          Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                          SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                          When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                          stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                          higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                          interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                          Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                          Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                          1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                          2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                          World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                          Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                          SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                          1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                          2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                          3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                          J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                          Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                          SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                          1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                          2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                          3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                          SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                          Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                          SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                          atrial fibrillation

                                                          ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                          Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                          new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                          Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                          1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                          2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                          3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                          4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                          5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                          5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                          6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                          1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                          2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                          3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                          4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                          5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                          Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                          Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                          SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                          1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                          2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                          3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                          4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                          Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                          Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                          Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                          Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                          Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                          Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                          If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                          Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                          atrioesophageal fistula

                                                          systemic embolic events

                                                          perforationtamponade

                                                          Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                          coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                          view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                          AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                          55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                          ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                          onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                          Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                          180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                          ECG description

                                                          Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                          150 bpm

                                                          No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                          Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                          Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                          Interpretation

                                                          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                          A closer look

                                                          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                          Adenosine effect

                                                          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                          AVNRT

                                                          Patient condition

                                                          Hemodynamic ally

                                                          stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                          unstble

                                                          Vagal maneuver

                                                          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                          To prevent recurrence

                                                          Drugs

                                                          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                          Treatment of MAT

                                                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                          Avoid sedatives

                                                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                          Cardioversion in MAT

                                                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                          Surgical care

                                                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                          Atrial flutter

                                                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                          Emergency Department Care

                                                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                          Anti coagulation therapy

                                                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                          Questions

                                                          • Slide 1
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                                                          • Slide 5
                                                          • Slide 6
                                                          • Slide 7
                                                          • Slide 8
                                                          • Slide 9
                                                          • Slide 10
                                                          • Slide 11
                                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                          • Slide 13
                                                          • Slide 14
                                                          • Slide 15
                                                          • Slide 16
                                                          • Slide 17
                                                          • Slide 18
                                                          • Slide 19
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                                                          • Slide 26
                                                          • Slide 27
                                                          • Slide 28
                                                          • Slide 29
                                                          • Slide 30
                                                          • Slide 31
                                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                          • Slide 33
                                                          • Slide 34
                                                          • Slide 35
                                                          • Slide 36
                                                          • Slide 37
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                                                            DRUGS USED IN ANTI COAGULATION THERAPY

                                                            1 Vitamine K antagonist----- warfarin

                                                            2 Direct thrombine inhibitors----

                                                            RE-LY study

                                                            3 factor Xa inhibitors-----

                                                            apixaban endoxaban

                                                            AVERROES study

                                                            betrixaban

                                                            dabigatran Ximelagatran

                                                            Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                            RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                            1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                            daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                            2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                            at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                            overall

                                                            Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                            Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                            SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                            1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                            2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                            3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                            4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                            Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                            Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                            SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                            When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                            stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                            higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                            interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                            Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                            Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                            1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                            2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                            World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                            Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                            SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                            1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                            2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                            3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                            J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                            Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                            SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                            1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                            2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                            3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                            SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                            Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                            SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                            atrial fibrillation

                                                            ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                            Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                            new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                            Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                            1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                            2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                            3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                            4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                            5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                            5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                            6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                            1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                            2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                            3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                            4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                            5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                            Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                            Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                            SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                            1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                            2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                            3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                            4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                            Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                            Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                            Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                            Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                            Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                            Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                            If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                            Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                            atrioesophageal fistula

                                                            systemic embolic events

                                                            perforationtamponade

                                                            Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                            coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                            view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                            AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                            55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                            ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                            onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                            Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                            180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                            ECG description

                                                            Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                            150 bpm

                                                            No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                            Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                            Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                            Interpretation

                                                            A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                            However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                            The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                            With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                            A closer look

                                                            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                            Adenosine effect

                                                            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                            AVNRT

                                                            Patient condition

                                                            Hemodynamic ally

                                                            stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                            unstble

                                                            Vagal maneuver

                                                            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                            To prevent recurrence

                                                            Drugs

                                                            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                            Treatment of MAT

                                                            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                            Avoid sedatives

                                                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                            Cardioversion in MAT

                                                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                            Surgical care

                                                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                            Atrial flutter

                                                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                            Emergency Department Care

                                                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                            Anti coagulation therapy

                                                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                            Questions

                                                            • Slide 1
                                                            • Slide 2
                                                            • Slide 3
                                                            • Slide 4
                                                            • Slide 5
                                                            • Slide 6
                                                            • Slide 7
                                                            • Slide 8
                                                            • Slide 9
                                                            • Slide 10
                                                            • Slide 11
                                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                            • Slide 13
                                                            • Slide 14
                                                            • Slide 15
                                                            • Slide 16
                                                            • Slide 17
                                                            • Slide 18
                                                            • Slide 19
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                                                            • Slide 21
                                                            • Slide 22
                                                            • Slide 23
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                                                            • Slide 29
                                                            • Slide 30
                                                            • Slide 31
                                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                            • Slide 33
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                                                              Direct thrombin inhibition

                                                              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                              RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                              1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                              daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                              2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                              at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                              overall

                                                              Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                              Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                              SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                              1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                              2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                              3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                              4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                              Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                              Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                              SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                              When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                              stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                              higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                              interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                              Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                              Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                              1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                              2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                              World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                              Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                              SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                              1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                              2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                              3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                              J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                              Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                              SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                              1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                              2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                              3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                              SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                              Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                              SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                              atrial fibrillation

                                                              ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                              Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                              new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                              Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                              1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                              2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                              3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                              4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                              5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                              5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                              6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                              1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                              2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                              3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                              4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                              5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                              Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                              Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                              SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                              1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                              2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                              3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                              4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                              Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                              Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                              Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                              Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                              Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                              Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                              If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                              Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                              atrioesophageal fistula

                                                              systemic embolic events

                                                              perforationtamponade

                                                              Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                              coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                              view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                              AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                              55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                              ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                              onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                              Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                              180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                              ECG description

                                                              Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                              150 bpm

                                                              No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                              Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                              Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                              Interpretation

                                                              A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                              However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                              The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                              With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                              A closer look

                                                              However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                              Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                              In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                              The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                              Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                              Adenosine effect

                                                              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                              AVNRT

                                                              Patient condition

                                                              Hemodynamic ally

                                                              stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                              unstble

                                                              Vagal maneuver

                                                              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                              To prevent recurrence

                                                              Drugs

                                                              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                              Treatment of MAT

                                                              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                              Avoid sedatives

                                                              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                              Cardioversion in MAT

                                                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                              Surgical care

                                                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                              Atrial flutter

                                                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                              Emergency Department Care

                                                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                              Anti coagulation therapy

                                                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                              Questions

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                                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                              • Slide 33
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                                                                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) is an international multicenter study (18113 patients from 967 centers in 44 countries) that demonstrated the ability of dabigatran to reduce the occurrence of both stroke and hemorrhage in patients who had atrial fibrillation (AF) with high risks of stroke compared with patients who received warfarin From Japan 326 patients were randomized in RE-LY

                                                                RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy) study

                                                                1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                                daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                                2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                                at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                                overall

                                                                Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                                Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                                SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                                1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                                2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                                3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                                4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                                Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                                Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                                SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                                When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                                stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                                higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                                interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                                Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                                Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                                1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                                2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                                World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                                Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                                SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                                1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                atrial fibrillation

                                                                ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                systemic embolic events

                                                                perforationtamponade

                                                                Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                ECG description

                                                                Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                150 bpm

                                                                No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                Interpretation

                                                                A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                A closer look

                                                                However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                Adenosine effect

                                                                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                AVNRT

                                                                Patient condition

                                                                Hemodynamic ally

                                                                stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                unstble

                                                                Vagal maneuver

                                                                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                To prevent recurrence

                                                                Drugs

                                                                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                Treatment of MAT

                                                                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                Avoid sedatives

                                                                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                Surgical care

                                                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                Atrial flutter

                                                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                Emergency Department Care

                                                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                Questions

                                                                • Slide 1
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                                                                • Slide 5
                                                                • Slide 6
                                                                • Slide 7
                                                                • Slide 8
                                                                • Slide 9
                                                                • Slide 10
                                                                • Slide 11
                                                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                • Slide 13
                                                                • Slide 14
                                                                • Slide 15
                                                                • Slide 16
                                                                • Slide 17
                                                                • Slide 18
                                                                • Slide 19
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                                                                • Slide 26
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                                                                • Slide 28
                                                                • Slide 29
                                                                • Slide 30
                                                                • Slide 31
                                                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                • Slide 33
                                                                • Slide 34
                                                                • Slide 35
                                                                • Slide 36
                                                                • Slide 37
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                                                                  1 For any bleeding the relative risk of dabigatran at 110mg and 150mg twice

                                                                  daily over warfarin was 079 and 106

                                                                  2 In RE-LY the efficacy and safety profiles of dabigatran for Japanese AF patients

                                                                  at high risk of stroke were essentially the same as for the study population

                                                                  overall

                                                                  Circ J 2011 Mar 2575(4)800-805 Epub 2011 Mar 19

                                                                  Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran vs Warfarin in Patients With Atrial FibrillationHori M Connolly SJ Ezekowitz MD Reilly PA Yusuf S Wallentin L the RE-LY Investigators

                                                                  SourceOsaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

                                                                  1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                                  2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                                  3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                                  4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                                  Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                                  Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                                  SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                                  When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                                  stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                                  higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                                  interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                                  Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                                  Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                                  1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                                  2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                                  World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                                  Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                                  SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                                  1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                  2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                  3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                  J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                  Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                  SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                  1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                  2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                  3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                  Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                  SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                  Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                  J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                  Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                  SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                  atrial fibrillation

                                                                  ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                  Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                  new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                  Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                  1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                  2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                  3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                  4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                  5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                  5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                  6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                  1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                  2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                  3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                  4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                  5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                  Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                  Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                  SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                  1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                  2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                  3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                  4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                  Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                  Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                  Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                  Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                  Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                  Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                  If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                  Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                  atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                  systemic embolic events

                                                                  perforationtamponade

                                                                  Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                  coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                  view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                  AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                  55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                  ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                  onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                  Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                  180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                  ECG description

                                                                  Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                  150 bpm

                                                                  No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                  Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                  Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                  Interpretation

                                                                  A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                  However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                  The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                  With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                  A closer look

                                                                  However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                  Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                  In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                  The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                  Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                  Adenosine effect

                                                                  Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                  AVNRT

                                                                  Patient condition

                                                                  Hemodynamic ally

                                                                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                  unstble

                                                                  Vagal maneuver

                                                                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                  To prevent recurrence

                                                                  Drugs

                                                                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                  Treatment of MAT

                                                                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                  Avoid sedatives

                                                                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                  Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                  Surgical care

                                                                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                  Atrial flutter

                                                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                  Emergency Department Care

                                                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                  Questions

                                                                  • Slide 1
                                                                  • Slide 2
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                                                                  • Slide 5
                                                                  • Slide 6
                                                                  • Slide 7
                                                                  • Slide 8
                                                                  • Slide 9
                                                                  • Slide 10
                                                                  • Slide 11
                                                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                  • Slide 13
                                                                  • Slide 14
                                                                  • Slide 15
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                                                                  • Slide 31
                                                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                  • Slide 33
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                                                                    1 Ximelagatran was as effective as warfarin in reducing strokesystemic emboli in the elderly (223y with ximelagatran vs 227y with warfarin) as in younger patients (125y vs 128y)

                                                                    2 Total bleeds were significantly lower with ximelagatran compared with warfarin in elderly (40 vs 45 P=001) and younger (27 vs 35 Plt0001) patients

                                                                    3 Raised alanine aminotransferase values (gt3-fold elevation) among ximelagatran patients were more common in older (75 old vs 53 young) patients particularly women (95 elderly women vs 61 elderly men)

                                                                    4 In high-risk elderly AF patients ximelagatran is as effective as warfarin with less bleeding but alanine aminotransferase elevations are common particularly in elderly women Oral DTIs for stroke prevention show promise in elderly patients

                                                                    Stroke 2007 Nov38(11)2965-71 Epub 2007 Sep 20

                                                                    Direct thrombin inhibition and stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation experience from the SPORTIF III and V TrialsFord GA Choy AM Deedwania P Karalis DG Lindholm CJ Pluta W Frison L Olsson SB SPORTIF III V Investigators

                                                                    SourceInstitute for Ageing and Health University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne England

                                                                    When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                                    stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                                    higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                                    interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                                    Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                                    Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                                    1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                                    2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                                    World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                                    Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                                    SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                                    1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                    2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                    3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                    J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                    Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                    SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                    1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                    2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                    3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                    Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                    SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                    Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                    J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                    Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                    SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                    atrial fibrillation

                                                                    ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                    Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                    new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                    Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                    1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                    2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                    3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                    4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                    5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                    5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                    6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                    1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                    2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                    3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                    4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                    5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                    Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                    Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                    SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                    1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                    2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                    3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                    4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                    Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                    Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                    Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                    Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                    Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                    Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                    If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                    Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                    atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                    systemic embolic events

                                                                    perforationtamponade

                                                                    Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                    coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                    view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                    ECG description

                                                                    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                    150 bpm

                                                                    No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                    Interpretation

                                                                    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                    A closer look

                                                                    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                    Adenosine effect

                                                                    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                    AVNRT

                                                                    Patient condition

                                                                    Hemodynamic ally

                                                                    stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                    unstble

                                                                    Vagal maneuver

                                                                    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                    To prevent recurrence

                                                                    Drugs

                                                                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                    Treatment of MAT

                                                                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                    Avoid sedatives

                                                                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                    Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                    Surgical care

                                                                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                    Atrial flutter

                                                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                    Emergency Department Care

                                                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                    Questions

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                                                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                      When compared with men with AF women in these studies were older and had more

                                                                      stroke risk factors Women were more prone to anticoagulant-related bleeding the

                                                                      higher rate of thrombo-embolism among women was related to more frequent

                                                                      interruption of anticoagulant therapy

                                                                      Eur Heart J 2006 Aug27(16)1947-53 Epub 2006 Jun 14

                                                                      Anticoagulation in women with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor (SPORTIF) trialsGomberg-Maitland M Wenger NK Feyzi J Lengyel M Volgman AS Petersen P Frison L Halperin JL

                                                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Section of Cardiology University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago 5841 S Maryland Avenue MC2016 Chicago IL 60637 USA mgombergmedicinebsduchicagoedu

                                                                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                                      1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                                      2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                                      World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                                      Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                                      SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                                      1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                      2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                      3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                      J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                      Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                      SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                      1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                      2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                      3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                      Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                      SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                      Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                      J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                      Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                      SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                      atrial fibrillation

                                                                      ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                      Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                      Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                      new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                      Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                      1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                      2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                      3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                      4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                      5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                      5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                      6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                      1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                      2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                      3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                      4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                      5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                      Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                      Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                      SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                      1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                      2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                      3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                      4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                      Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                      Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                      Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                      Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                      Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                      Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                      If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                      Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                      atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                      systemic embolic events

                                                                      perforationtamponade

                                                                      Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                      coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                      view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                      AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                      ECG description

                                                                      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                      150 bpm

                                                                      No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                      Interpretation

                                                                      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                      A closer look

                                                                      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                      Adenosine effect

                                                                      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                      AVNRT

                                                                      Patient condition

                                                                      Hemodynamic ally

                                                                      stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                      unstble

                                                                      Vagal maneuver

                                                                      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                      To prevent recurrence

                                                                      Drugs

                                                                      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                      Treatment of MAT

                                                                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                      Avoid sedatives

                                                                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                      Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                      Surgical care

                                                                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                      Atrial flutter

                                                                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                      Emergency Department Care

                                                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                      Questions

                                                                      • Slide 1
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                                                                      • Slide 5
                                                                      • Slide 6
                                                                      • Slide 7
                                                                      • Slide 8
                                                                      • Slide 9
                                                                      • Slide 10
                                                                      • Slide 11
                                                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                      • Slide 13
                                                                      • Slide 14
                                                                      • Slide 15
                                                                      • Slide 16
                                                                      • Slide 17
                                                                      • Slide 18
                                                                      • Slide 19
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                                                                      • Slide 26
                                                                      • Slide 27
                                                                      • Slide 28
                                                                      • Slide 29
                                                                      • Slide 30
                                                                      • Slide 31
                                                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                      • Slide 33
                                                                      • Slide 34
                                                                      • Slide 35
                                                                      • Slide 36
                                                                      • Slide 37
                                                                      • Slide 38
                                                                      • Slide 39
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                                                                      • Slide 81

                                                                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy

                                                                        1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                                        2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                                        World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                                        Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                                        SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                                        1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                        2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                        3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                        J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                        Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                        SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                        1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                        2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                        3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                        Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                        SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                        Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                        J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                        Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                        SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                        atrial fibrillation

                                                                        ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                        Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                        Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                        new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                        Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                        1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                        2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                        3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                        4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                        5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                        5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                        6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                        1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                        2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                        3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                        4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                        5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                        Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                        Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                        SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                        1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                        2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                        3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                        4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                        Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                        Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                        Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                        Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                        Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                        Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                        If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                        Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                        atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                        systemic embolic events

                                                                        perforationtamponade

                                                                        Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                        coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                        view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                        AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                        55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                        ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                        onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                        Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                        180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                        ECG description

                                                                        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                        150 bpm

                                                                        No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                        Interpretation

                                                                        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                        A closer look

                                                                        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                        Adenosine effect

                                                                        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                        AVNRT

                                                                        Patient condition

                                                                        Hemodynamic ally

                                                                        stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                        unstble

                                                                        Vagal maneuver

                                                                        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                        To prevent recurrence

                                                                        Drugs

                                                                        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                        Treatment of MAT

                                                                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                        Avoid sedatives

                                                                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                        Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                        Surgical care

                                                                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                        Atrial flutter

                                                                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                        Emergency Department Care

                                                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                        Questions

                                                                        • Slide 1
                                                                        • Slide 2
                                                                        • Slide 3
                                                                        • Slide 4
                                                                        • Slide 5
                                                                        • Slide 6
                                                                        • Slide 7
                                                                        • Slide 8
                                                                        • Slide 9
                                                                        • Slide 10
                                                                        • Slide 11
                                                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                        • Slide 13
                                                                        • Slide 14
                                                                        • Slide 15
                                                                        • Slide 16
                                                                        • Slide 17
                                                                        • Slide 18
                                                                        • Slide 19
                                                                        • Slide 20
                                                                        • Slide 21
                                                                        • Slide 22
                                                                        • Slide 23
                                                                        • Slide 24
                                                                        • Slide 25
                                                                        • Slide 26
                                                                        • Slide 27
                                                                        • Slide 28
                                                                        • Slide 29
                                                                        • Slide 30
                                                                        • Slide 31
                                                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                        • Slide 33
                                                                        • Slide 34
                                                                        • Slide 35
                                                                        • Slide 36
                                                                        • Slide 37
                                                                        • Slide 38
                                                                        • Slide 39
                                                                        • Slide 40
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                                                                        • Slide 78
                                                                        • Slide 79
                                                                        • Slide 80
                                                                        • Slide 81

                                                                          1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical arrhythmia Recent investigations have suggested that inflammation might have a role in the pathophysiology of AF

                                                                          2 In this review the association between inflammation and AF and the effects of several agents that have anti-inflammatory actions such as statins polyunsaturated fatty acids corticosteroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been investigated

                                                                          World J Cardiol 2010 Aug 262(8)243-50

                                                                          Atrial fibrillation and inflammationOzaydin M

                                                                          SourceMehmet Ozaydin Department of Cardiology School of Medicine Suleyman Demirel University 32040 Isparta Turkey

                                                                          1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                          2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                          3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                          J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                          Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                          SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                          1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                          2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                          3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                          Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                          SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                          Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                          J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                          Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                          SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                          atrial fibrillation

                                                                          ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                          Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                          Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                          new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                          Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                          1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                          2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                          3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                          4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                          5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                          5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                          6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                          1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                          2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                          3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                          4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                          5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                          Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                          Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                          SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                          1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                          2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                          3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                          4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                          Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                          Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                          Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                          Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                          Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                          Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                          If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                          Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                          atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                          systemic embolic events

                                                                          perforationtamponade

                                                                          Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                          coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                          view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                          AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                          55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                          ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                          onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                          Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                          180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                          ECG description

                                                                          Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                          150 bpm

                                                                          No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                          Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                          Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                          Interpretation

                                                                          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                          A closer look

                                                                          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                          Adenosine effect

                                                                          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                          AVNRT

                                                                          Patient condition

                                                                          Hemodynamic ally

                                                                          stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                          unstble

                                                                          Vagal maneuver

                                                                          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                          To prevent recurrence

                                                                          Drugs

                                                                          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                          Treatment of MAT

                                                                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                          Avoid sedatives

                                                                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                          Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                          Surgical care

                                                                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                          Atrial flutter

                                                                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                          Emergency Department Care

                                                                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                          Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                          Questions

                                                                          • Slide 1
                                                                          • Slide 2
                                                                          • Slide 3
                                                                          • Slide 4
                                                                          • Slide 5
                                                                          • Slide 6
                                                                          • Slide 7
                                                                          • Slide 8
                                                                          • Slide 9
                                                                          • Slide 10
                                                                          • Slide 11
                                                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                          • Slide 13
                                                                          • Slide 14
                                                                          • Slide 15
                                                                          • Slide 16
                                                                          • Slide 17
                                                                          • Slide 18
                                                                          • Slide 19
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                                                                          • Slide 27
                                                                          • Slide 28
                                                                          • Slide 29
                                                                          • Slide 30
                                                                          • Slide 31
                                                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                          • Slide 33
                                                                          • Slide 34
                                                                          • Slide 35
                                                                          • Slide 36
                                                                          • Slide 37
                                                                          • Slide 38
                                                                          • Slide 39
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                                                                          • Slide 81

                                                                            1 Inflammation appears to play a significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF as well as the prothrombotic state associated with AF

                                                                            2 Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) have been shown to be associated with the future development recurrence and burden of AF and the likelihood of successful cardioversion

                                                                            3 Animal and clinical studies have evaluated statins angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-II receptor blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment or prevention of AF

                                                                            J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2010 Sep21(9)1064-70 doi 101111j1540-8167201001774x

                                                                            Update on the association of inflammation and atrial fibrillationPatel P Dokainish H Tsai P Lakkis N

                                                                            SourceSection of Cardiology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA

                                                                            1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                            2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                            3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                            Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                            SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                            Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                            J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                            Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                            SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                            atrial fibrillation

                                                                            ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                            Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                            Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                            new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                            Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                            1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                            2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                            3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                            4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                            5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                            5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                            6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                            1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                            2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                            3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                            4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                            5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                            Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                            Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                            SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                            1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                            2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                            3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                            4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                            Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                            Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                            Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                            Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                            Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                            Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                            If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                            Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                            atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                            systemic embolic events

                                                                            perforationtamponade

                                                                            Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                            coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                            view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                            AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                            55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                            ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                            onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                            Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                            180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                            ECG description

                                                                            Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                            150 bpm

                                                                            No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                            Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                            Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                            Interpretation

                                                                            A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                            However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                            The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                            With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                            A closer look

                                                                            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                            Adenosine effect

                                                                            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                            AVNRT

                                                                            Patient condition

                                                                            Hemodynamic ally

                                                                            stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                            unstble

                                                                            Vagal maneuver

                                                                            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                            To prevent recurrence

                                                                            Drugs

                                                                            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                            Treatment of MAT

                                                                            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                            Avoid sedatives

                                                                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                            Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                            Surgical care

                                                                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                            Atrial flutter

                                                                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                            Emergency Department Care

                                                                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                            Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                            Questions

                                                                            • Slide 1
                                                                            • Slide 2
                                                                            • Slide 3
                                                                            • Slide 4
                                                                            • Slide 5
                                                                            • Slide 6
                                                                            • Slide 7
                                                                            • Slide 8
                                                                            • Slide 9
                                                                            • Slide 10
                                                                            • Slide 11
                                                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                            • Slide 13
                                                                            • Slide 14
                                                                            • Slide 15
                                                                            • Slide 16
                                                                            • Slide 17
                                                                            • Slide 18
                                                                            • Slide 19
                                                                            • Slide 20
                                                                            • Slide 21
                                                                            • Slide 22
                                                                            • Slide 23
                                                                            • Slide 24
                                                                            • Slide 25
                                                                            • Slide 26
                                                                            • Slide 27
                                                                            • Slide 28
                                                                            • Slide 29
                                                                            • Slide 30
                                                                            • Slide 31
                                                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                            • Slide 33
                                                                            • Slide 34
                                                                            • Slide 35
                                                                            • Slide 36
                                                                            • Slide 37
                                                                            • Slide 38
                                                                            • Slide 39
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                                                                            • Slide 77
                                                                            • Slide 78
                                                                            • Slide 79
                                                                            • Slide 80
                                                                            • Slide 81

                                                                              1 Overall the use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of AF compared with control (odds ratio [OR] 039 95 confidence interval [CI] 018 to 085 p = 002)

                                                                              2 Benefit of statin therapy seemed more marked in secondary prevention of AF (OR 033 95 CI 010 to 103 p = 006) than for new-onset or postoperative AF (OR 060 95 CI 027 to 137 p = 023)

                                                                              3 Use of statins was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incidence or recurrence of AF in patients in sinus rhythm with a history of previous AF or undergoing cardiac surgery or after acute coronary syndrome

                                                                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 Feb 2651(8)828-35

                                                                              Antiarrhythmic effect of statin therapy and atrial fibrillation a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFauchier L Pierre B de Labriolle A Grimard C Zannad N Babuty D

                                                                              SourceCardiologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Trousseau Tours France lfaumeduniv-toursfr

                                                                              Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                              J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                              Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                              SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                              atrial fibrillation

                                                                              ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                              Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                              Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                              new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                              Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                              1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                              2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                              3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                              4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                              5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                              5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                              6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                              1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                              2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                              3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                              4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                              5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                              Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                              Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                              SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                              1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                              2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                              3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                              4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                              Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                              Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                              SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                              Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                              Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                              Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                              Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                              If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                              Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                              atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                              systemic embolic events

                                                                              perforationtamponade

                                                                              Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                              coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                              view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                              AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                              55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                              ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                              onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                              Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                              180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                              ECG description

                                                                              Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                              150 bpm

                                                                              No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                              Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                              Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                              Interpretation

                                                                              A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                              However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                              The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                              With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                              A closer look

                                                                              However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                              Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                              In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                              The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                              Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                              Adenosine effect

                                                                              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                              AVNRT

                                                                              Patient condition

                                                                              Hemodynamic ally

                                                                              stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                              unstble

                                                                              Vagal maneuver

                                                                              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                              To prevent recurrence

                                                                              Drugs

                                                                              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                              Treatment of MAT

                                                                              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                              Avoid sedatives

                                                                              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                              Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                              Surgical care

                                                                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                              Atrial flutter

                                                                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                              Emergency Department Care

                                                                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                              Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                              Questions

                                                                              • Slide 1
                                                                              • Slide 2
                                                                              • Slide 3
                                                                              • Slide 4
                                                                              • Slide 5
                                                                              • Slide 6
                                                                              • Slide 7
                                                                              • Slide 8
                                                                              • Slide 9
                                                                              • Slide 10
                                                                              • Slide 11
                                                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                              • Slide 13
                                                                              • Slide 14
                                                                              • Slide 15
                                                                              • Slide 16
                                                                              • Slide 17
                                                                              • Slide 18
                                                                              • Slide 19
                                                                              • Slide 20
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                                                                              • Slide 22
                                                                              • Slide 23
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                                                                              • Slide 27
                                                                              • Slide 28
                                                                              • Slide 29
                                                                              • Slide 30
                                                                              • Slide 31
                                                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                              • Slide 33
                                                                              • Slide 34
                                                                              • Slide 35
                                                                              • Slide 36
                                                                              • Slide 37
                                                                              • Slide 38
                                                                              • Slide 39
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                                                                              • Slide 42
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                                                                              • Slide 71
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                                                                              • Slide 77
                                                                              • Slide 78
                                                                              • Slide 79
                                                                              • Slide 80
                                                                              • Slide 81

                                                                                Our meta-analysis suggests that increased CRP levels are associated with greater risk of AF recurrence although there was significant heterogeneity across the studies The use of CRP levels in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance appears promising but requires further study

                                                                                J Am Coll Cardiol 2007 Apr 1749(15)1642-8 Epub 2007 Apr 2

                                                                                Association between C-reactive protein and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful electrical cardioversion a meta-analysisLiu T Li G Li L Korantzopoulos P

                                                                                SourceDepartment of Cardiology Tianjin Institute of Cardiology Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University Tianjin Peoples Republic of China

                                                                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                                atrial fibrillation

                                                                                ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                                Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                                Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                                new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                                Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                                1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                                2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                                4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                                5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                                5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                                1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                                2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                                3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                                4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                                5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                                Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                                Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                                SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                                1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                systemic embolic events

                                                                                perforationtamponade

                                                                                Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                ECG description

                                                                                Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                150 bpm

                                                                                No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                Interpretation

                                                                                A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                A closer look

                                                                                However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                Adenosine effect

                                                                                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                AVNRT

                                                                                Patient condition

                                                                                Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                unstble

                                                                                Vagal maneuver

                                                                                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                To prevent recurrence

                                                                                Drugs

                                                                                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                Treatment of MAT

                                                                                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                Avoid sedatives

                                                                                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                Surgical care

                                                                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                Atrial flutter

                                                                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                Emergency Department Care

                                                                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                Questions

                                                                                • Slide 1
                                                                                • Slide 2
                                                                                • Slide 3
                                                                                • Slide 4
                                                                                • Slide 5
                                                                                • Slide 6
                                                                                • Slide 7
                                                                                • Slide 8
                                                                                • Slide 9
                                                                                • Slide 10
                                                                                • Slide 11
                                                                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                • Slide 13
                                                                                • Slide 14
                                                                                • Slide 15
                                                                                • Slide 16
                                                                                • Slide 17
                                                                                • Slide 18
                                                                                • Slide 19
                                                                                • Slide 20
                                                                                • Slide 21
                                                                                • Slide 22
                                                                                • Slide 23
                                                                                • Slide 24
                                                                                • Slide 25
                                                                                • Slide 26
                                                                                • Slide 27
                                                                                • Slide 28
                                                                                • Slide 29
                                                                                • Slide 30
                                                                                • Slide 31
                                                                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                • Slide 33
                                                                                • Slide 34
                                                                                • Slide 35
                                                                                • Slide 36
                                                                                • Slide 37
                                                                                • Slide 38
                                                                                • Slide 39
                                                                                • Slide 40
                                                                                • Slide 41
                                                                                • Slide 42
                                                                                • Slide 43
                                                                                • Slide 44
                                                                                • Slide 45
                                                                                • Slide 46
                                                                                • Slide 47
                                                                                • Slide 48
                                                                                • Slide 49
                                                                                • Slide 50
                                                                                • Slide 51
                                                                                • Slide 52
                                                                                • Slide 53
                                                                                • Slide 54
                                                                                • Slide 55
                                                                                • Slide 56
                                                                                • Slide 57
                                                                                • Slide 58
                                                                                • Slide 59
                                                                                • Slide 60
                                                                                • Slide 61
                                                                                • Slide 62
                                                                                • Slide 63
                                                                                • Slide 64
                                                                                • Slide 65
                                                                                • Slide 66
                                                                                • Slide 67
                                                                                • Slide 68
                                                                                • Slide 69
                                                                                • Slide 70
                                                                                • Slide 71
                                                                                • Slide 72
                                                                                • Slide 73
                                                                                • Slide 74
                                                                                • Slide 75
                                                                                • Slide 76
                                                                                • Slide 77
                                                                                • Slide 78
                                                                                • Slide 79
                                                                                • Slide 80
                                                                                • Slide 81

                                                                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blocker in

                                                                                  atrial fibrillation

                                                                                  ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                                  Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                                  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                                  new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                                  Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                                  1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                                  2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                  3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                                  4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                                  5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                                  5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                  6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                                  1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                                  2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                                  3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                                  4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                                  5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                                  Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                                  Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                                  SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                                  1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                  2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                  3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                  4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                  Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                  Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                  SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                  Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                  Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                  Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                  Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                  If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                  Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                  atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                  systemic embolic events

                                                                                  perforationtamponade

                                                                                  Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                  coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                  view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                  AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                  55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                  ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                  onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                  Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                  180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                  ECG description

                                                                                  Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                  150 bpm

                                                                                  No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                  Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                  Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                  Interpretation

                                                                                  A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                  However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                  The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                  With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                  A closer look

                                                                                  However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                  Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                  In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                  The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                  Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                  Adenosine effect

                                                                                  Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                  AVNRT

                                                                                  Patient condition

                                                                                  Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                  unstble

                                                                                  Vagal maneuver

                                                                                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                  To prevent recurrence

                                                                                  Drugs

                                                                                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                  Treatment of MAT

                                                                                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                  Avoid sedatives

                                                                                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                  Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                  Surgical care

                                                                                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                  Atrial flutter

                                                                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                  Emergency Department Care

                                                                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                  Questions

                                                                                  • Slide 1
                                                                                  • Slide 2
                                                                                  • Slide 3
                                                                                  • Slide 4
                                                                                  • Slide 5
                                                                                  • Slide 6
                                                                                  • Slide 7
                                                                                  • Slide 8
                                                                                  • Slide 9
                                                                                  • Slide 10
                                                                                  • Slide 11
                                                                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                  • Slide 13
                                                                                  • Slide 14
                                                                                  • Slide 15
                                                                                  • Slide 16
                                                                                  • Slide 17
                                                                                  • Slide 18
                                                                                  • Slide 19
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                                                                                  • Slide 27
                                                                                  • Slide 28
                                                                                  • Slide 29
                                                                                  • Slide 30
                                                                                  • Slide 31
                                                                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                  • Slide 33
                                                                                  • Slide 34
                                                                                  • Slide 35
                                                                                  • Slide 36
                                                                                  • Slide 37
                                                                                  • Slide 38
                                                                                  • Slide 39
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                                                                                  • Slide 42
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                                                                                  • Slide 77
                                                                                  • Slide 78
                                                                                  • Slide 79
                                                                                  • Slide 80
                                                                                  • Slide 81

                                                                                    ACEIsARBs are effective for primary prevention and secondary prevention of AF They decrease the incidence of AF especially in patients with hypertension patients with chronic heart failure and those with AF

                                                                                    Eur J Clin Invest 2011 Jan 20 doi 101111j1365-2362201002460x [Epub ahead of print]

                                                                                    Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation a meta-analysisHuang G Xu JB Liu JX He Y Nie XL Li Q Hu YM Zhao SQ Wang M Zhang WY Liu XR Wu T Arkin A Zhang TJ

                                                                                    new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                                    Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                                    1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                                    2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                    3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                                    4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                                    5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                                    5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                    6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                                    1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                                    2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                                    3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                                    4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                                    5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                                    Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                                    Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                                    SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                                    1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                    2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                    3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                    4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                    Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                    Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                    SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                    Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                    Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                    Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                    Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                    If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                    Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                    atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                    systemic embolic events

                                                                                    perforationtamponade

                                                                                    Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                    coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                    view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                    ECG description

                                                                                    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                    150 bpm

                                                                                    No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                    Interpretation

                                                                                    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                    A closer look

                                                                                    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                    Adenosine effect

                                                                                    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                    AVNRT

                                                                                    Patient condition

                                                                                    Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                    stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                    unstble

                                                                                    Vagal maneuver

                                                                                    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                    To prevent recurrence

                                                                                    Drugs

                                                                                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                    Treatment of MAT

                                                                                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                    Avoid sedatives

                                                                                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                    Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                    Surgical care

                                                                                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                    Atrial flutter

                                                                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                    Emergency Department Care

                                                                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                    Questions

                                                                                    • Slide 1
                                                                                    • Slide 2
                                                                                    • Slide 3
                                                                                    • Slide 4
                                                                                    • Slide 5
                                                                                    • Slide 6
                                                                                    • Slide 7
                                                                                    • Slide 8
                                                                                    • Slide 9
                                                                                    • Slide 10
                                                                                    • Slide 11
                                                                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                    • Slide 13
                                                                                    • Slide 14
                                                                                    • Slide 15
                                                                                    • Slide 16
                                                                                    • Slide 17
                                                                                    • Slide 18
                                                                                    • Slide 19
                                                                                    • Slide 20
                                                                                    • Slide 21
                                                                                    • Slide 22
                                                                                    • Slide 23
                                                                                    • Slide 24
                                                                                    • Slide 25
                                                                                    • Slide 26
                                                                                    • Slide 27
                                                                                    • Slide 28
                                                                                    • Slide 29
                                                                                    • Slide 30
                                                                                    • Slide 31
                                                                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                    • Slide 33
                                                                                    • Slide 34
                                                                                    • Slide 35
                                                                                    • Slide 36
                                                                                    • Slide 37
                                                                                    • Slide 38
                                                                                    • Slide 39
                                                                                    • Slide 40
                                                                                    • Slide 41
                                                                                    • Slide 42
                                                                                    • Slide 43
                                                                                    • Slide 44
                                                                                    • Slide 45
                                                                                    • Slide 46
                                                                                    • Slide 47
                                                                                    • Slide 48
                                                                                    • Slide 49
                                                                                    • Slide 50
                                                                                    • Slide 51
                                                                                    • Slide 52
                                                                                    • Slide 53
                                                                                    • Slide 54
                                                                                    • Slide 55
                                                                                    • Slide 56
                                                                                    • Slide 57
                                                                                    • Slide 58
                                                                                    • Slide 59
                                                                                    • Slide 60
                                                                                    • Slide 61
                                                                                    • Slide 62
                                                                                    • Slide 63
                                                                                    • Slide 64
                                                                                    • Slide 65
                                                                                    • Slide 66
                                                                                    • Slide 67
                                                                                    • Slide 68
                                                                                    • Slide 69
                                                                                    • Slide 70
                                                                                    • Slide 71
                                                                                    • Slide 72
                                                                                    • Slide 73
                                                                                    • Slide 74
                                                                                    • Slide 75
                                                                                    • Slide 76
                                                                                    • Slide 77
                                                                                    • Slide 78
                                                                                    • Slide 79
                                                                                    • Slide 80
                                                                                    • Slide 81

                                                                                      new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation

                                                                                      Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                                      1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                                      2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                      3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                                      4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                                      5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                                      5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                      6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                                      1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                                      2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                                      3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                                      4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                                      5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                                      Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                                      Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                                      SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                                      1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                      2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                      3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                      4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                      Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                      Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                      SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                      Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                      Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                      Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                      Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                      If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                      Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                      atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                      systemic embolic events

                                                                                      perforationtamponade

                                                                                      Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                      coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                      view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                      AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                      ECG description

                                                                                      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                      150 bpm

                                                                                      No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                      Interpretation

                                                                                      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                      A closer look

                                                                                      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                      Adenosine effect

                                                                                      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                      AVNRT

                                                                                      Patient condition

                                                                                      Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                      stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                      unstble

                                                                                      Vagal maneuver

                                                                                      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                      To prevent recurrence

                                                                                      Drugs

                                                                                      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                      Treatment of MAT

                                                                                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                      Avoid sedatives

                                                                                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                      Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                      Surgical care

                                                                                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                      Atrial flutter

                                                                                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                      Emergency Department Care

                                                                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                      Questions

                                                                                      • Slide 1
                                                                                      • Slide 2
                                                                                      • Slide 3
                                                                                      • Slide 4
                                                                                      • Slide 5
                                                                                      • Slide 6
                                                                                      • Slide 7
                                                                                      • Slide 8
                                                                                      • Slide 9
                                                                                      • Slide 10
                                                                                      • Slide 11
                                                                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                      • Slide 13
                                                                                      • Slide 14
                                                                                      • Slide 15
                                                                                      • Slide 16
                                                                                      • Slide 17
                                                                                      • Slide 18
                                                                                      • Slide 19
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                                                                                      • Slide 27
                                                                                      • Slide 28
                                                                                      • Slide 29
                                                                                      • Slide 30
                                                                                      • Slide 31
                                                                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                      • Slide 33
                                                                                      • Slide 34
                                                                                      • Slide 35
                                                                                      • Slide 36
                                                                                      • Slide 37
                                                                                      • Slide 38
                                                                                      • Slide 39
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                                                                                      • Slide 81

                                                                                        Dronedarone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on July 2 2009

                                                                                        1 It is a deiodinated derivative of amiodarone that has no organ toxicity

                                                                                        2 Its use will likely extend to both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                        3 Dronedarone has multiple actions (all 4 Von Williams class effects)

                                                                                        4 Unlike amiodarone it does not have the iodine moiety

                                                                                        5 The lack of iodination may offer a better side-effect profile Dronedarone has been shown to (1) have antiadrenergic effects (2) prolong atrial and ventricular refractory periods and (3) prolong atrioventricular node conduction as well as the paced QRS complex

                                                                                        5 In animal models dronedarone has been shown to decrease ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

                                                                                        6 The clinical effects of dronedarone are currently being examined in patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with ICDs

                                                                                        1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                                        2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                                        3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                                        4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                                        5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                                        Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                                        Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                                        SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                                        1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                        2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                        3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                        4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                        Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                        Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                        SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                        Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                        Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                        Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                        Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                        If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                        Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                        atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                        systemic embolic events

                                                                                        perforationtamponade

                                                                                        Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                        coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                        view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                        AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                        55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                        ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                        onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                        Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                        180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                        ECG description

                                                                                        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                        150 bpm

                                                                                        No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                        Interpretation

                                                                                        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                        A closer look

                                                                                        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                        Adenosine effect

                                                                                        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                        AVNRT

                                                                                        Patient condition

                                                                                        Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                        stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                        unstble

                                                                                        Vagal maneuver

                                                                                        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                        To prevent recurrence

                                                                                        Drugs

                                                                                        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                        Treatment of MAT

                                                                                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                        Avoid sedatives

                                                                                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                        Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                        Surgical care

                                                                                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                        Atrial flutter

                                                                                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                        Emergency Department Care

                                                                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                        Questions

                                                                                        • Slide 1
                                                                                        • Slide 2
                                                                                        • Slide 3
                                                                                        • Slide 4
                                                                                        • Slide 5
                                                                                        • Slide 6
                                                                                        • Slide 7
                                                                                        • Slide 8
                                                                                        • Slide 9
                                                                                        • Slide 10
                                                                                        • Slide 11
                                                                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                        • Slide 13
                                                                                        • Slide 14
                                                                                        • Slide 15
                                                                                        • Slide 16
                                                                                        • Slide 17
                                                                                        • Slide 18
                                                                                        • Slide 19
                                                                                        • Slide 20
                                                                                        • Slide 21
                                                                                        • Slide 22
                                                                                        • Slide 23
                                                                                        • Slide 24
                                                                                        • Slide 25
                                                                                        • Slide 26
                                                                                        • Slide 27
                                                                                        • Slide 28
                                                                                        • Slide 29
                                                                                        • Slide 30
                                                                                        • Slide 31
                                                                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                        • Slide 33
                                                                                        • Slide 34
                                                                                        • Slide 35
                                                                                        • Slide 36
                                                                                        • Slide 37
                                                                                        • Slide 38
                                                                                        • Slide 39
                                                                                        • Slide 40
                                                                                        • Slide 41
                                                                                        • Slide 42
                                                                                        • Slide 43
                                                                                        • Slide 44
                                                                                        • Slide 45
                                                                                        • Slide 46
                                                                                        • Slide 47
                                                                                        • Slide 48
                                                                                        • Slide 49
                                                                                        • Slide 50
                                                                                        • Slide 51
                                                                                        • Slide 52
                                                                                        • Slide 53
                                                                                        • Slide 54
                                                                                        • Slide 55
                                                                                        • Slide 56
                                                                                        • Slide 57
                                                                                        • Slide 58
                                                                                        • Slide 59
                                                                                        • Slide 60
                                                                                        • Slide 61
                                                                                        • Slide 62
                                                                                        • Slide 63
                                                                                        • Slide 64
                                                                                        • Slide 65
                                                                                        • Slide 66
                                                                                        • Slide 67
                                                                                        • Slide 68
                                                                                        • Slide 69
                                                                                        • Slide 70
                                                                                        • Slide 71
                                                                                        • Slide 72
                                                                                        • Slide 73
                                                                                        • Slide 74
                                                                                        • Slide 75
                                                                                        • Slide 76
                                                                                        • Slide 77
                                                                                        • Slide 78
                                                                                        • Slide 79
                                                                                        • Slide 80
                                                                                        • Slide 81

                                                                                          1 Vernakalant is a sodium and ultra-rapid potassium channel blocker with atrial selective effects In 2 clinical studies evaluating use of intravenous vernakalant in cardioversion of patients with recent-onset AF

                                                                                          2 vernakalant improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (combined results 51 vs 38 with placebo p lt 0001)

                                                                                          3 In postoperative AF intravenous vernakalant also improved the chance of restoration of normal sinus rhythm (45 vs 15 with placebo p = 00002)

                                                                                          4 Early Phase 2 studies demonstrated that oral vernakalant 300 mg or 600 mg twice daily successfully maintained sinus rhythm compared with placebo

                                                                                          5No proarrhythmias relating to vernakalant have been reported to date Common adverse effects include dysgeusia sneezing and paresthesia

                                                                                          Ann Pharmacother 2008 Apr42(4)533-42 Epub 2008 Mar 11

                                                                                          Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillationCheng JW

                                                                                          SourceMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Brigham and Womens Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA judychengmcphsedu

                                                                                          1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                          2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                          3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                          4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                          Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                          Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                          SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                          Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                          Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                          Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                          Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                          If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                          Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                          atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                          systemic embolic events

                                                                                          perforationtamponade

                                                                                          Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                          coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                          view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                          AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                          55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                          ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                          onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                          Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                          180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                          ECG description

                                                                                          Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                          150 bpm

                                                                                          No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                          Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                          Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                          Interpretation

                                                                                          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                          A closer look

                                                                                          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                          Adenosine effect

                                                                                          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                          AVNRT

                                                                                          Patient condition

                                                                                          Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                          stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                          unstble

                                                                                          Vagal maneuver

                                                                                          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                          To prevent recurrence

                                                                                          Drugs

                                                                                          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                          Treatment of MAT

                                                                                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                          Avoid sedatives

                                                                                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                          Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                          Surgical care

                                                                                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                          Atrial flutter

                                                                                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                          Emergency Department Care

                                                                                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                          Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                          Questions

                                                                                          • Slide 1
                                                                                          • Slide 2
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                                                                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                            1 Vernakalant is available in both intravenous and oral forms In phase II and III trials intravenous vernakalant has been shown to be effective in terminating acute onset atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt3 hours and lt7 days ( 50 efficiency vs 10 for placebo) sim

                                                                                            2 It does not appear to be effective for atrial fibrillation whose duration is gt7 days nor does it appear to be effective for atrial flutter

                                                                                            3 Studies with oral vernakalant have been designed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence Studies to date have shown that 51 of patients were able to maintain sinus rhythm after 90 days of using oral vernakalant 50 mgkg twice daily compared with 37 of patients receiving placebo

                                                                                            4 In the clinical trials there were minimal drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias observed

                                                                                            Cardiol Rev 2011 Jan-Feb19(1)41-4

                                                                                            Vernakalant a new drug to treat patients with acute onset atrial fibrillationTian D Frishman WH

                                                                                            SourceDepartment of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medical School Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD USA

                                                                                            Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                            Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                            Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                            Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                            If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                            Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                            atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                            systemic embolic events

                                                                                            perforationtamponade

                                                                                            Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                            coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                            view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                            AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                            55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                            ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                            onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                            Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                            180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                            ECG description

                                                                                            Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                            150 bpm

                                                                                            No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                            Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                            Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                            Interpretation

                                                                                            A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                            However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                            The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                            With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                            A closer look

                                                                                            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                            Adenosine effect

                                                                                            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                            AVNRT

                                                                                            Patient condition

                                                                                            Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                            stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                            unstble

                                                                                            Vagal maneuver

                                                                                            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                            To prevent recurrence

                                                                                            Drugs

                                                                                            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                            Treatment of MAT

                                                                                            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                            Avoid sedatives

                                                                                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                            Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                            Surgical care

                                                                                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                            Atrial flutter

                                                                                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                            Emergency Department Care

                                                                                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                            Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                            Questions

                                                                                            • Slide 1
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                                                                                            • Slide 4
                                                                                            • Slide 5
                                                                                            • Slide 6
                                                                                            • Slide 7
                                                                                            • Slide 8
                                                                                            • Slide 9
                                                                                            • Slide 10
                                                                                            • Slide 11
                                                                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                            • Slide 13
                                                                                            • Slide 14
                                                                                            • Slide 15
                                                                                            • Slide 16
                                                                                            • Slide 17
                                                                                            • Slide 18
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                                                                                            • Slide 27
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                                                                                            • Slide 29
                                                                                            • Slide 30
                                                                                            • Slide 31
                                                                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                            • Slide 33
                                                                                            • Slide 34
                                                                                            • Slide 35
                                                                                            • Slide 36
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                                                                                            • Slide 81

                                                                                              Catheter and Surgical Ablative Therapy to Prevent Recurrent AF

                                                                                              Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                              Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                              Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                              If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                              Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                              atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                              systemic embolic events

                                                                                              perforationtamponade

                                                                                              Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                              coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                              view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                              AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                              55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                              ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                              onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                              Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                              180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                              ECG description

                                                                                              Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                              150 bpm

                                                                                              No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                              Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                              Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                              Interpretation

                                                                                              A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                              However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                              The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                              With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                              A closer look

                                                                                              However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                              Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                              In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                              The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                              Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                              Adenosine effect

                                                                                              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                              AVNRT

                                                                                              Patient condition

                                                                                              Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                              stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                              unstble

                                                                                              Vagal maneuver

                                                                                              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                              To prevent recurrence

                                                                                              Drugs

                                                                                              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                              Treatment of MAT

                                                                                              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                              Avoid sedatives

                                                                                              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                              Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                              Surgical care

                                                                                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                              Atrial flutter

                                                                                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                              Emergency Department Care

                                                                                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                              Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                              Questions

                                                                                              • Slide 1
                                                                                              • Slide 2
                                                                                              • Slide 3
                                                                                              • Slide 4
                                                                                              • Slide 5
                                                                                              • Slide 6
                                                                                              • Slide 7
                                                                                              • Slide 8
                                                                                              • Slide 9
                                                                                              • Slide 10
                                                                                              • Slide 11
                                                                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                              • Slide 13
                                                                                              • Slide 14
                                                                                              • Slide 15
                                                                                              • Slide 16
                                                                                              • Slide 17
                                                                                              • Slide 18
                                                                                              • Slide 19
                                                                                              • Slide 20
                                                                                              • Slide 21
                                                                                              • Slide 22
                                                                                              • Slide 23
                                                                                              • Slide 24
                                                                                              • Slide 25
                                                                                              • Slide 26
                                                                                              • Slide 27
                                                                                              • Slide 28
                                                                                              • Slide 29
                                                                                              • Slide 30
                                                                                              • Slide 31
                                                                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                              • Slide 33
                                                                                              • Slide 34
                                                                                              • Slide 35
                                                                                              • Slide 36
                                                                                              • Slide 37
                                                                                              • Slide 38
                                                                                              • Slide 39
                                                                                              • Slide 40
                                                                                              • Slide 41
                                                                                              • Slide 42
                                                                                              • Slide 43
                                                                                              • Slide 44
                                                                                              • Slide 45
                                                                                              • Slide 46
                                                                                              • Slide 47
                                                                                              • Slide 48
                                                                                              • Slide 49
                                                                                              • Slide 50
                                                                                              • Slide 51
                                                                                              • Slide 52
                                                                                              • Slide 53
                                                                                              • Slide 54
                                                                                              • Slide 55
                                                                                              • Slide 56
                                                                                              • Slide 57
                                                                                              • Slide 58
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                                                                                              • Slide 65
                                                                                              • Slide 66
                                                                                              • Slide 67
                                                                                              • Slide 68
                                                                                              • Slide 69
                                                                                              • Slide 70
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                                                                                              • Slide 74
                                                                                              • Slide 75
                                                                                              • Slide 76
                                                                                              • Slide 77
                                                                                              • Slide 78
                                                                                              • Slide 79
                                                                                              • Slide 80
                                                                                              • Slide 81

                                                                                                Ablation therapy is currently considered an alternative to pharmacologic therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic AF

                                                                                                Elimination of AF in 50ndash80 of patients with a catheter-based ablation procedure should be anticipated depending on the chronicity of the AF

                                                                                                Catheter ablative therapy also holds promise in patients with more persistent forms of AF and even those with severe atrial dilatation

                                                                                                If its efficacy is confirmed with additional study it may also afford an important alternative to His bundle ablation and pacemaker insertion

                                                                                                Risks pulmonary vein stenosis

                                                                                                atrioesophageal fistula

                                                                                                systemic embolic events

                                                                                                perforationtamponade

                                                                                                Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                                coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                                view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                                AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                                55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                                ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                                onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                                Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                                180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                                ECG description

                                                                                                Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                                150 bpm

                                                                                                No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                                Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                                Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                                Interpretation

                                                                                                A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                                However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                                The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                                With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                                A closer look

                                                                                                However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                Adenosine effect

                                                                                                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                AVNRT

                                                                                                Patient condition

                                                                                                Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                unstble

                                                                                                Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                Drugs

                                                                                                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                Surgical care

                                                                                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                Atrial flutter

                                                                                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                Questions

                                                                                                • Slide 1
                                                                                                • Slide 2
                                                                                                • Slide 3
                                                                                                • Slide 4
                                                                                                • Slide 5
                                                                                                • Slide 6
                                                                                                • Slide 7
                                                                                                • Slide 8
                                                                                                • Slide 9
                                                                                                • Slide 10
                                                                                                • Slide 11
                                                                                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                • Slide 13
                                                                                                • Slide 14
                                                                                                • Slide 15
                                                                                                • Slide 16
                                                                                                • Slide 17
                                                                                                • Slide 18
                                                                                                • Slide 19
                                                                                                • Slide 20
                                                                                                • Slide 21
                                                                                                • Slide 22
                                                                                                • Slide 23
                                                                                                • Slide 24
                                                                                                • Slide 25
                                                                                                • Slide 26
                                                                                                • Slide 27
                                                                                                • Slide 28
                                                                                                • Slide 29
                                                                                                • Slide 30
                                                                                                • Slide 31
                                                                                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                • Slide 33
                                                                                                • Slide 34
                                                                                                • Slide 35
                                                                                                • Slide 36
                                                                                                • Slide 37
                                                                                                • Slide 38
                                                                                                • Slide 39
                                                                                                • Slide 40
                                                                                                • Slide 41
                                                                                                • Slide 42
                                                                                                • Slide 43
                                                                                                • Slide 44
                                                                                                • Slide 45
                                                                                                • Slide 46
                                                                                                • Slide 47
                                                                                                • Slide 48
                                                                                                • Slide 49
                                                                                                • Slide 50
                                                                                                • Slide 51
                                                                                                • Slide 52
                                                                                                • Slide 53
                                                                                                • Slide 54
                                                                                                • Slide 55
                                                                                                • Slide 56
                                                                                                • Slide 57
                                                                                                • Slide 58
                                                                                                • Slide 59
                                                                                                • Slide 60
                                                                                                • Slide 61
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                                                                                                • Slide 63
                                                                                                • Slide 64
                                                                                                • Slide 65
                                                                                                • Slide 66
                                                                                                • Slide 67
                                                                                                • Slide 68
                                                                                                • Slide 69
                                                                                                • Slide 70
                                                                                                • Slide 71
                                                                                                • Slide 72
                                                                                                • Slide 73
                                                                                                • Slide 74
                                                                                                • Slide 75
                                                                                                • Slide 76
                                                                                                • Slide 77
                                                                                                • Slide 78
                                                                                                • Slide 79
                                                                                                • Slide 80
                                                                                                • Slide 81

                                                                                                  Surgical ablation of AF is typically performed at the time of other cardiac valve or

                                                                                                  coronary artery surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone procedure

                                                                                                  view of the left atrium depicting the isolating lesions delivered by catheter ablation around each set of pulmonary veins-

                                                                                                  AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                                  55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                                  ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                                  onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                                  Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                                  180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                                  ECG description

                                                                                                  Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                                  150 bpm

                                                                                                  No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                                  Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                                  Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                                  Interpretation

                                                                                                  A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                                  However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                                  The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                                  With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                                  A closer look

                                                                                                  However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                  Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                  In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                  The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                  Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                  Adenosine effect

                                                                                                  Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                  AVNRT

                                                                                                  Patient condition

                                                                                                  Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                  unstble

                                                                                                  Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                  To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                  Drugs

                                                                                                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                  Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                  Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                  Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                  Surgical care

                                                                                                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                  Atrial flutter

                                                                                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                  Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                  Questions

                                                                                                  • Slide 1
                                                                                                  • Slide 2
                                                                                                  • Slide 3
                                                                                                  • Slide 4
                                                                                                  • Slide 5
                                                                                                  • Slide 6
                                                                                                  • Slide 7
                                                                                                  • Slide 8
                                                                                                  • Slide 9
                                                                                                  • Slide 10
                                                                                                  • Slide 11
                                                                                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                  • Slide 13
                                                                                                  • Slide 14
                                                                                                  • Slide 15
                                                                                                  • Slide 16
                                                                                                  • Slide 17
                                                                                                  • Slide 18
                                                                                                  • Slide 19
                                                                                                  • Slide 20
                                                                                                  • Slide 21
                                                                                                  • Slide 22
                                                                                                  • Slide 23
                                                                                                  • Slide 24
                                                                                                  • Slide 25
                                                                                                  • Slide 26
                                                                                                  • Slide 27
                                                                                                  • Slide 28
                                                                                                  • Slide 29
                                                                                                  • Slide 30
                                                                                                  • Slide 31
                                                                                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                  • Slide 33
                                                                                                  • Slide 34
                                                                                                  • Slide 35
                                                                                                  • Slide 36
                                                                                                  • Slide 37
                                                                                                  • Slide 38
                                                                                                  • Slide 39
                                                                                                  • Slide 40
                                                                                                  • Slide 41
                                                                                                  • Slide 42
                                                                                                  • Slide 43
                                                                                                  • Slide 44
                                                                                                  • Slide 45
                                                                                                  • Slide 46
                                                                                                  • Slide 47
                                                                                                  • Slide 48
                                                                                                  • Slide 49
                                                                                                  • Slide 50
                                                                                                  • Slide 51
                                                                                                  • Slide 52
                                                                                                  • Slide 53
                                                                                                  • Slide 54
                                                                                                  • Slide 55
                                                                                                  • Slide 56
                                                                                                  • Slide 57
                                                                                                  • Slide 58
                                                                                                  • Slide 59
                                                                                                  • Slide 60
                                                                                                  • Slide 61
                                                                                                  • Slide 62
                                                                                                  • Slide 63
                                                                                                  • Slide 64
                                                                                                  • Slide 65
                                                                                                  • Slide 66
                                                                                                  • Slide 67
                                                                                                  • Slide 68
                                                                                                  • Slide 69
                                                                                                  • Slide 70
                                                                                                  • Slide 71
                                                                                                  • Slide 72
                                                                                                  • Slide 73
                                                                                                  • Slide 74
                                                                                                  • Slide 75
                                                                                                  • Slide 76
                                                                                                  • Slide 77
                                                                                                  • Slide 78
                                                                                                  • Slide 79
                                                                                                  • Slide 80
                                                                                                  • Slide 81

                                                                                                    AV nodal re entry tachycardia

                                                                                                    55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                                    ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                                    onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                                    Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                                    180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                                    ECG description

                                                                                                    Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                                    150 bpm

                                                                                                    No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                                    Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                                    Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                                    Interpretation

                                                                                                    A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                                    However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                                    The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                                    With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                                    A closer look

                                                                                                    However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                    Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                    In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                    The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                    Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                    Adenosine effect

                                                                                                    Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                    AVNRT

                                                                                                    Patient condition

                                                                                                    Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                    stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                    unstble

                                                                                                    Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                    adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                    Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                    To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                    Drugs

                                                                                                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                    Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                    Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                    Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                    Surgical care

                                                                                                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                    Atrial flutter

                                                                                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                    Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                    Questions

                                                                                                    • Slide 1
                                                                                                    • Slide 2
                                                                                                    • Slide 3
                                                                                                    • Slide 4
                                                                                                    • Slide 5
                                                                                                    • Slide 6
                                                                                                    • Slide 7
                                                                                                    • Slide 8
                                                                                                    • Slide 9
                                                                                                    • Slide 10
                                                                                                    • Slide 11
                                                                                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                    • Slide 13
                                                                                                    • Slide 14
                                                                                                    • Slide 15
                                                                                                    • Slide 16
                                                                                                    • Slide 17
                                                                                                    • Slide 18
                                                                                                    • Slide 19
                                                                                                    • Slide 20
                                                                                                    • Slide 21
                                                                                                    • Slide 22
                                                                                                    • Slide 23
                                                                                                    • Slide 24
                                                                                                    • Slide 25
                                                                                                    • Slide 26
                                                                                                    • Slide 27
                                                                                                    • Slide 28
                                                                                                    • Slide 29
                                                                                                    • Slide 30
                                                                                                    • Slide 31
                                                                                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                    • Slide 33
                                                                                                    • Slide 34
                                                                                                    • Slide 35
                                                                                                    • Slide 36
                                                                                                    • Slide 37
                                                                                                    • Slide 38
                                                                                                    • Slide 39
                                                                                                    • Slide 40
                                                                                                    • Slide 41
                                                                                                    • Slide 42
                                                                                                    • Slide 43
                                                                                                    • Slide 44
                                                                                                    • Slide 45
                                                                                                    • Slide 46
                                                                                                    • Slide 47
                                                                                                    • Slide 48
                                                                                                    • Slide 49
                                                                                                    • Slide 50
                                                                                                    • Slide 51
                                                                                                    • Slide 52
                                                                                                    • Slide 53
                                                                                                    • Slide 54
                                                                                                    • Slide 55
                                                                                                    • Slide 56
                                                                                                    • Slide 57
                                                                                                    • Slide 58
                                                                                                    • Slide 59
                                                                                                    • Slide 60
                                                                                                    • Slide 61
                                                                                                    • Slide 62
                                                                                                    • Slide 63
                                                                                                    • Slide 64
                                                                                                    • Slide 65
                                                                                                    • Slide 66
                                                                                                    • Slide 67
                                                                                                    • Slide 68
                                                                                                    • Slide 69
                                                                                                    • Slide 70
                                                                                                    • Slide 71
                                                                                                    • Slide 72
                                                                                                    • Slide 73
                                                                                                    • Slide 74
                                                                                                    • Slide 75
                                                                                                    • Slide 76
                                                                                                    • Slide 77
                                                                                                    • Slide 78
                                                                                                    • Slide 79
                                                                                                    • Slide 80
                                                                                                    • Slide 81

                                                                                                      55 yo female with no cardiac history but allegedly one similar episode 10 years

                                                                                                      ago when her heart ldquowent crazyrdquo for 20 minutes When EMS arrives Sudden

                                                                                                      onset of strong palpitations dizziness chest pain paleness and mild diaphoresis

                                                                                                      Blood pressure is 13292 and the the patient has a rapid regular pulse at around

                                                                                                      180 beats min A 12 lead ECG is obtained

                                                                                                      ECG description

                                                                                                      Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                                      150 bpm

                                                                                                      No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                                      Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                                      Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                                      Interpretation

                                                                                                      A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                                      However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                                      The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                                      With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                                      A closer look

                                                                                                      However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                      Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                      In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                      The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                      Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                      Adenosine effect

                                                                                                      Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                      AVNRT

                                                                                                      Patient condition

                                                                                                      Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                      stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                      unstble

                                                                                                      Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                      adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                      Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                      To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                      Drugs

                                                                                                      Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                      Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                      Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                      Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                      Surgical care

                                                                                                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                      Atrial flutter

                                                                                                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                      Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                      Questions

                                                                                                      • Slide 1
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                                                                                                      • Slide 3
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                                                                                                      • Slide 5
                                                                                                      • Slide 6
                                                                                                      • Slide 7
                                                                                                      • Slide 8
                                                                                                      • Slide 9
                                                                                                      • Slide 10
                                                                                                      • Slide 11
                                                                                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                      • Slide 13
                                                                                                      • Slide 14
                                                                                                      • Slide 15
                                                                                                      • Slide 16
                                                                                                      • Slide 17
                                                                                                      • Slide 18
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                                                                                                      • Slide 29
                                                                                                      • Slide 30
                                                                                                      • Slide 31
                                                                                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                      • Slide 33
                                                                                                      • Slide 34
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                                                                                                        ECG description

                                                                                                        Regular narrow-complex tachycardia

                                                                                                        150 bpm

                                                                                                        No visible P waves preceding QRS

                                                                                                        Retrograde P waves with an RP interval of 120ms Inverted in inferior leads II III aVF and upright in aVR and right precordial leads V1 and V2 Also called pseudo S-waves (inferior leads) or pseudo R-waves (right precordial)

                                                                                                        Cardiac axis is normal at approx 50deg

                                                                                                        Interpretation

                                                                                                        A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                                        However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                                        The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                                        With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                                        A closer look

                                                                                                        However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                        Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                        In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                        The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                        Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                        Adenosine effect

                                                                                                        Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                        AVNRT

                                                                                                        Patient condition

                                                                                                        Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                        stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                        unstble

                                                                                                        Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                        adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                        Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                        To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                        Drugs

                                                                                                        Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                        A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                        breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                        irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                        Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                        Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                        Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                        Surgical care

                                                                                                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                        Atrial flutter

                                                                                                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                        Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                        Questions

                                                                                                        • Slide 1
                                                                                                        • Slide 2
                                                                                                        • Slide 3
                                                                                                        • Slide 4
                                                                                                        • Slide 5
                                                                                                        • Slide 6
                                                                                                        • Slide 7
                                                                                                        • Slide 8
                                                                                                        • Slide 9
                                                                                                        • Slide 10
                                                                                                        • Slide 11
                                                                                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                        • Slide 13
                                                                                                        • Slide 14
                                                                                                        • Slide 15
                                                                                                        • Slide 16
                                                                                                        • Slide 17
                                                                                                        • Slide 18
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                                                                                                        • Slide 27
                                                                                                        • Slide 28
                                                                                                        • Slide 29
                                                                                                        • Slide 30
                                                                                                        • Slide 31
                                                                                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                        • Slide 33
                                                                                                        • Slide 34
                                                                                                        • Slide 35
                                                                                                        • Slide 36
                                                                                                        • Slide 37
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                                                                                                          Interpretation

                                                                                                          A narrow-complex tachycardia is most likely to be supraventricular in origin as this indicates normal His-Purkinje impulse propagation and simultaneous ventricular activation

                                                                                                          However there is no P wave preceding the QRS complex to indicate that a sinoatrial origin of the propagated impulse

                                                                                                          The regularity rules out atrial fibrillation and the fact that the P waves are not visible could of course just be due to the tachycardic rate At a first glance we can only conclude that this is a supraventricular tachycardia A natural next move would be to perform carotid pressure or other vagal manuevres to induce atrioventricular block in order to help us differentiate this rhythm

                                                                                                          With the same intentions and if carotid pressure doesnrsquot work adenosine would be the drug of choice here

                                                                                                          A closer look

                                                                                                          However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                          Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                          In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                          The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                          Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                          Adenosine effect

                                                                                                          Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                          AVNRT

                                                                                                          Patient condition

                                                                                                          Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                          stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                          unstble

                                                                                                          Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                          adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                          Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                          To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                          Drugs

                                                                                                          Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                          A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                          breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                          irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                          1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                          2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                          3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                          Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                          Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                          Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                          Surgical care

                                                                                                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                          Atrial flutter

                                                                                                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                          Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                          Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                          Questions

                                                                                                          • Slide 1
                                                                                                          • Slide 2
                                                                                                          • Slide 3
                                                                                                          • Slide 4
                                                                                                          • Slide 5
                                                                                                          • Slide 6
                                                                                                          • Slide 7
                                                                                                          • Slide 8
                                                                                                          • Slide 9
                                                                                                          • Slide 10
                                                                                                          • Slide 11
                                                                                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                          • Slide 13
                                                                                                          • Slide 14
                                                                                                          • Slide 15
                                                                                                          • Slide 16
                                                                                                          • Slide 17
                                                                                                          • Slide 18
                                                                                                          • Slide 19
                                                                                                          • Slide 20
                                                                                                          • Slide 21
                                                                                                          • Slide 22
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                                                                                                          • Slide 26
                                                                                                          • Slide 27
                                                                                                          • Slide 28
                                                                                                          • Slide 29
                                                                                                          • Slide 30
                                                                                                          • Slide 31
                                                                                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                          • Slide 33
                                                                                                          • Slide 34
                                                                                                          • Slide 35
                                                                                                          • Slide 36
                                                                                                          • Slide 37
                                                                                                          • Slide 38
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                                                                                                          • Slide 78
                                                                                                          • Slide 79
                                                                                                          • Slide 80
                                                                                                          • Slide 81

                                                                                                            A closer look

                                                                                                            However differentiation stop here as the diagnosis lies right in front of us clearly visible in both the ECGs

                                                                                                            Although there is no sign of atrial activity preceding the QRS take a look after the QRS complex

                                                                                                            In all inferior leads II III and aVF an inverted P wave with an RP interval of 120 ms followes each QRS complex

                                                                                                            The same P wave with the same RP interval can be spotted in the right precordial leads V1 and V2 as well as in aVR

                                                                                                            Logially the P wave is upright in these leads This means that the atrias are depolarized in a retrograde fashion after ventricular

                                                                                                            Adenosine effect

                                                                                                            Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                            AVNRT

                                                                                                            Patient condition

                                                                                                            Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                            stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                            unstble

                                                                                                            Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                            adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                            Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                            To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                            Drugs

                                                                                                            Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                            A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                            breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                            irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                            1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                            2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                            3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                            Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                            Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                            Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                            Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                            Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                            activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                            When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                            Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                            Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                            Surgical care

                                                                                                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                            Atrial flutter

                                                                                                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                            Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                            Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                            Questions

                                                                                                            • Slide 1
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                                                                                                            • Slide 7
                                                                                                            • Slide 8
                                                                                                            • Slide 9
                                                                                                            • Slide 10
                                                                                                            • Slide 11
                                                                                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                            • Slide 13
                                                                                                            • Slide 14
                                                                                                            • Slide 15
                                                                                                            • Slide 16
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                                                                                                            • Slide 30
                                                                                                            • Slide 31
                                                                                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                            • Slide 33
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                                                                                                              Adenosine effect

                                                                                                              Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                              AVNRT

                                                                                                              Patient condition

                                                                                                              Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                              stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                              unstble

                                                                                                              Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                              adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                              Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                              To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                              Drugs

                                                                                                              Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                              A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                              breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                              irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                              1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                              2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                              3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                              Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                              Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                              Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                              Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                              Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                              activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                              When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                              Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                              Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                              Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                              high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                              Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                              Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                              Surgical care

                                                                                                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                              Atrial flutter

                                                                                                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                              Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                              Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                              Questions

                                                                                                              • Slide 1
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                                                                                                              • Slide 7
                                                                                                              • Slide 8
                                                                                                              • Slide 9
                                                                                                              • Slide 10
                                                                                                              • Slide 11
                                                                                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                              • Slide 13
                                                                                                              • Slide 14
                                                                                                              • Slide 15
                                                                                                              • Slide 16
                                                                                                              • Slide 17
                                                                                                              • Slide 18
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                                                                                                              • Slide 29
                                                                                                              • Slide 30
                                                                                                              • Slide 31
                                                                                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                              • Slide 33
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                                                                                                                Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT) Treatment amp Management

                                                                                                                AVNRT

                                                                                                                Patient condition

                                                                                                                Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                                stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                                unstble

                                                                                                                Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                                adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                                Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                                To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                                Drugs

                                                                                                                Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                                A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                                breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                                irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                                1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                                2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                                3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                                Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                                Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                                Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                                Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                                Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                                activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                                When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                                Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                Surgical care

                                                                                                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                Questions

                                                                                                                • Slide 1
                                                                                                                • Slide 2
                                                                                                                • Slide 3
                                                                                                                • Slide 4
                                                                                                                • Slide 5
                                                                                                                • Slide 6
                                                                                                                • Slide 7
                                                                                                                • Slide 8
                                                                                                                • Slide 9
                                                                                                                • Slide 10
                                                                                                                • Slide 11
                                                                                                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                • Slide 13
                                                                                                                • Slide 14
                                                                                                                • Slide 15
                                                                                                                • Slide 16
                                                                                                                • Slide 17
                                                                                                                • Slide 18
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                                                                                                                • Slide 26
                                                                                                                • Slide 27
                                                                                                                • Slide 28
                                                                                                                • Slide 29
                                                                                                                • Slide 30
                                                                                                                • Slide 31
                                                                                                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                                • Slide 33
                                                                                                                • Slide 34
                                                                                                                • Slide 35
                                                                                                                • Slide 36
                                                                                                                • Slide 37
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                                                                                                                • Slide 79
                                                                                                                • Slide 80
                                                                                                                • Slide 81

                                                                                                                  AVNRT

                                                                                                                  Patient condition

                                                                                                                  Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                                  stable Hemodynamic ally

                                                                                                                  unstble

                                                                                                                  Vagal maneuver

                                                                                                                  adenosine calcium channel blockers (eg diltiazem verapamil) beta-blockers and digitalis

                                                                                                                  Direct current (DC) synchronized cardioversion

                                                                                                                  To prevent recurrence

                                                                                                                  Drugs

                                                                                                                  Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                                  A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                                  breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                                  irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                                  1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                                  2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                                  3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                                  Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                                  Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                                  Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                                  Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                                  Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                                  activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                                  When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                  Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                                  Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                  Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                  high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                  Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                  Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                  Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                  current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                  and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                  Surgical care

                                                                                                                  In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                  rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                  permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                  symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                  tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                  Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                  Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                  Questions

                                                                                                                  • Slide 1
                                                                                                                  • Slide 2
                                                                                                                  • Slide 3
                                                                                                                  • Slide 4
                                                                                                                  • Slide 5
                                                                                                                  • Slide 6
                                                                                                                  • Slide 7
                                                                                                                  • Slide 8
                                                                                                                  • Slide 9
                                                                                                                  • Slide 10
                                                                                                                  • Slide 11
                                                                                                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                  • Slide 13
                                                                                                                  • Slide 14
                                                                                                                  • Slide 15
                                                                                                                  • Slide 16
                                                                                                                  • Slide 17
                                                                                                                  • Slide 18
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                                                                                                                  • Slide 27
                                                                                                                  • Slide 28
                                                                                                                  • Slide 29
                                                                                                                  • Slide 30
                                                                                                                  • Slide 31
                                                                                                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                                  • Slide 33
                                                                                                                  • Slide 34
                                                                                                                  • Slide 35
                                                                                                                  • Slide 36
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                                                                                                                    Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia

                                                                                                                    A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                                    breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                                    irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                                    1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                                    2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                                    3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                                    Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                                    Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                                    Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                                    Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                                    Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                                    activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                                    When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                    Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                                    Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                    Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                    high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                    Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                    Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                    Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                    current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                    and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                    Surgical care

                                                                                                                    In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                    rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                    permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                    symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                    tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                    Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                    Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                    Questions

                                                                                                                    • Slide 1
                                                                                                                    • Slide 2
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                                                                                                                    • Slide 7
                                                                                                                    • Slide 8
                                                                                                                    • Slide 9
                                                                                                                    • Slide 10
                                                                                                                    • Slide 11
                                                                                                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                    • Slide 13
                                                                                                                    • Slide 14
                                                                                                                    • Slide 15
                                                                                                                    • Slide 16
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                                                                                                                    • Slide 30
                                                                                                                    • Slide 31
                                                                                                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                                    • Slide 33
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                                                                                                                    • Slide 80
                                                                                                                    • Slide 81

                                                                                                                      A 52 years old male COPD patient presented with palpitation shortness of

                                                                                                                      breath chest pain and syncopal history On examination pulse is rapid

                                                                                                                      irregular amp 1st heart sound is variable

                                                                                                                      1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                                      2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                                      3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                                      Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                                      Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                                      Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                                      Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                                      Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                                      activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                                      When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                      Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                                      Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                      Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                      high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                      Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                      Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                      Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                      current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                      and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                      Surgical care

                                                                                                                      In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                      rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                      permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                      symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                      tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                      Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                      A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                      with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                      presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                      Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                      Questions

                                                                                                                      • Slide 1
                                                                                                                      • Slide 2
                                                                                                                      • Slide 3
                                                                                                                      • Slide 4
                                                                                                                      • Slide 5
                                                                                                                      • Slide 6
                                                                                                                      • Slide 7
                                                                                                                      • Slide 8
                                                                                                                      • Slide 9
                                                                                                                      • Slide 10
                                                                                                                      • Slide 11
                                                                                                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                      • Slide 13
                                                                                                                      • Slide 14
                                                                                                                      • Slide 15
                                                                                                                      • Slide 16
                                                                                                                      • Slide 17
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                                                                                                                      • Slide 29
                                                                                                                      • Slide 30
                                                                                                                      • Slide 31
                                                                                                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                                      • Slide 33
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                                                                                                                      • Slide 79
                                                                                                                      • Slide 80
                                                                                                                      • Slide 81

                                                                                                                        1 Irregular ventricular rate greater than 100 bpm

                                                                                                                        2 Organized and discrete P waves with at least 3 different morphologies in the same electrocardiographic lead

                                                                                                                        3 Irregular PP PR and RR intervals with an isoelectric baseline between the P waves

                                                                                                                        Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                                        Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                                        Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                                        Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                                        Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                                        activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                                        When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                        Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                                        Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                        Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                        high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                        Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                        Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                        Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                        current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                        and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                        Surgical care

                                                                                                                        In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                        rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                        permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                        symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                        tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                        Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                        A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                        with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                        presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                        Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                        Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                        Questions

                                                                                                                        • Slide 1
                                                                                                                        • Slide 2
                                                                                                                        • Slide 3
                                                                                                                        • Slide 4
                                                                                                                        • Slide 5
                                                                                                                        • Slide 6
                                                                                                                        • Slide 7
                                                                                                                        • Slide 8
                                                                                                                        • Slide 9
                                                                                                                        • Slide 10
                                                                                                                        • Slide 11
                                                                                                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                        • Slide 13
                                                                                                                        • Slide 14
                                                                                                                        • Slide 15
                                                                                                                        • Slide 16
                                                                                                                        • Slide 17
                                                                                                                        • Slide 18
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                                                                                                                        • Slide 27
                                                                                                                        • Slide 28
                                                                                                                        • Slide 29
                                                                                                                        • Slide 30
                                                                                                                        • Slide 31
                                                                                                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                                        • Slide 33
                                                                                                                        • Slide 34
                                                                                                                        • Slide 35
                                                                                                                        • Slide 36
                                                                                                                        • Slide 37
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                                                                                                                        • Slide 81

                                                                                                                          Treatment of MAT

                                                                                                                          Administer oxygen to maintain the saturation greater than 90 but avoid excessive oxygen in patients with known significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) This will avoid the theoretical problem of removing the hypoxic drive for ventilation which can result in increased carbon dioxide retention

                                                                                                                          Establish cardiac monitor blood pressure monitor and pulse oximetry

                                                                                                                          Assess for and treat the underlying cardiopulmonary process theophylline toxicity or metabolic abnormality

                                                                                                                          Administer bronchodilators and oxygen for treatment of decompensated COPD

                                                                                                                          activated charcoal andor charcoal hemoperfusion is the therapy for theophylline toxicity

                                                                                                                          When magnesium sulfate is administered to correct hypokalemia most patients convert to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                          Avoid sedatives

                                                                                                                          Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                          Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                          high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                          Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                          Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                          Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                          current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                          and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                          Surgical care

                                                                                                                          In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                          rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                          permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                          symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                          tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                          Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                          A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                          with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                          presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                          Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                          Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                          Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                          Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                          Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                          Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                          Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                          Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                          Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                          Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                          Questions

                                                                                                                          • Slide 1
                                                                                                                          • Slide 2
                                                                                                                          • Slide 3
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                                                                                                                          • Slide 8
                                                                                                                          • Slide 9
                                                                                                                          • Slide 10
                                                                                                                          • Slide 11
                                                                                                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                          • Slide 13
                                                                                                                          • Slide 14
                                                                                                                          • Slide 15
                                                                                                                          • Slide 16
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                                                                                                                          • Slide 31
                                                                                                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
                                                                                                                          • Slide 33
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                                                                                                                            Diltiazem and verapamil decrease the atrial activity and slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction thereby decreasing ventricular rate but they do not return all patients to normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                            Diltiazem may be used as a 20-45 mg intravenous bolus and then as a 10-25 mgh continuous infusion

                                                                                                                            high-dose magnesium causes a significant decrease in the patients heart rate and conversion to normal sinus rhythm The dosage is 2 g intravenously over 1 minute followed by 2 gh infusion over 5 hours

                                                                                                                            Amiodarone (300 mg PO tid or 450-1500 mg IV over 2-24 h) has been used and has been reported to be associated with conversion to normal sinus rhythm The success rate was 40 at 3 days with oral dosing and 75 on day 1 with intravenous dosing however this has been evaluated in a very small number of patients

                                                                                                                            Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                            Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                            current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                            and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                            Surgical care

                                                                                                                            In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                            rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                            permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                            symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                            tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                            Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                            A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                            with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                            presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                            Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                            Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                            Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                            Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                            Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                            Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                            Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                            Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                            Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                            Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                            Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                            If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                            Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                            If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                            Questions

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                                                                                                                            • Slide 10
                                                                                                                            • Slide 11
                                                                                                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                                                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                              Cardioversion in MAT

                                                                                                                              Cardioversion is contraindicated in MAT Due to the multiple atrial foci direct

                                                                                                                              current (DC) cardioversion is not effective in restoring normal sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                              and can precipitate more dangerous arrhythmias

                                                                                                                              Surgical care

                                                                                                                              In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                              rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                              permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                              symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                              tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                              Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                              A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                              with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                              presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                              Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                              Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                              Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                              Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                              Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                              Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                              Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                              Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                              Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                              Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                              Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                              If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                              Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                              If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                              AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                              In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                              are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                              ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                              procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                              Questions

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                                                                                                                              • Slide 8
                                                                                                                              • Slide 9
                                                                                                                              • Slide 10
                                                                                                                              • Slide 11
                                                                                                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                              • Slide 13
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                                                                                                                              • Slide 31
                                                                                                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                Surgical care

                                                                                                                                In patients who have persistent and recurrent episodes of MAT and problems with

                                                                                                                                rate control the AV node may be ablated using radiofrequency energy and a

                                                                                                                                permanent pacemaker implanted[22] This approach should be considered both for

                                                                                                                                symptomatic and hemodynamic improvement and to prevent the development of

                                                                                                                                tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy

                                                                                                                                Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                                with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                                presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                                Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                                Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                                Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                                Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                                Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                                Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                                Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                                Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                                Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                                Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                                If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                                Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                                If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                                AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                Questions

                                                                                                                                • Slide 1
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                                                                                                                                • Slide 8
                                                                                                                                • Slide 9
                                                                                                                                • Slide 10
                                                                                                                                • Slide 11
                                                                                                                                • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                                • Slide 13
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                                                                                                                                • Slide 31
                                                                                                                                • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                  Atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                  A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                                  with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                                  presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                                  Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                                  Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                                  Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                                  Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                                  Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                                  Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                                  Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                  Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                                  Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                                  Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                                  Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                                  If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                                  Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                                  If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                                  AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                  In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                  are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                  ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                  procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                  Questions

                                                                                                                                  • Slide 1
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 2
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 3
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                                                                                                                                  • Slide 7
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 8
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 9
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 10
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 11
                                                                                                                                  • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                                  • Slide 13
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                                                                                                                                  • Slide 31
                                                                                                                                  • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                  • Slide 81

                                                                                                                                    A 50 years old diabetic hypertensive hyperthyroid male patient presented

                                                                                                                                    with palpitation fatigue or poor exercise tolerance mild dyspneaand

                                                                                                                                    presyncope On psysical examination pulse rate 150 min

                                                                                                                                    Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                                    Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                                    Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                                    Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                                    Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                                    Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                                    Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                    Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                                    Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                                    Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                                    Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                                    If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                                    Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                                    If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                                    AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                    In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                    are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                    ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                    procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                    Questions

                                                                                                                                    • Slide 1
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 2
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 3
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                                                                                                                                    • Slide 8
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 9
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 10
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 11
                                                                                                                                    • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 13
                                                                                                                                    • Slide 14
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                                                                                                                                    • Slide 31
                                                                                                                                    • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                      Note negative sawtooth pattern of flutter waves in leads II III and aVF

                                                                                                                                      Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                                      Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                                      Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                                      Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                                      Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                                      Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                      Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                                      Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                                      Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                                      Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                                      If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                                      Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                                      If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                                      AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                      In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                      are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                      ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                      procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                      Questions

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                                                                                                                                      • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                                                                                      • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                        Emergency Department Care

                                                                                                                                        Assess airway breathing and circulation Hemodynamic concerns will dictate initial treatment

                                                                                                                                        Treatment options for atrial flutter include the following

                                                                                                                                        Antiarrhythmic drugsnodal agents

                                                                                                                                        Direct-current (DC) cardioversion

                                                                                                                                        Rapid atrial pacing to terminate atrial flutter

                                                                                                                                        Blood pressure can be supported and rate controlled with medication

                                                                                                                                        Anti coagulation therapy

                                                                                                                                        Look for underlying causes At times treatment of the underlying disorder (eg thyroid disease valvular heart disease) is necessary to effect conversion to sinus rhythm

                                                                                                                                        Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                                        If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                                        Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                                        If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                                        AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                        In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                        are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                        ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                        procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                        Questions

                                                                                                                                        • Slide 1
                                                                                                                                        • Slide 2
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                                                                                                                                        • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                                                                                        • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                          Cardioversion for unstable patients

                                                                                                                                          If the patient is unstable (eg hypotension poor perfusion) synchronous direct-current (DC) cardioversion is commonly the initial treatment of choice

                                                                                                                                          Cardioversion may be successful with energies as low as 25 Joules but since 100 Joules is virtually always successful this may be a reasonable initial shock strength

                                                                                                                                          If the electrical shock results in atrial fibrillation (AF) a second shock at a higher energy level is used to restore normal sinus rhythm (NSR)

                                                                                                                                          AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                          In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                          are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                          ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                          procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                          Questions

                                                                                                                                          • Slide 1
                                                                                                                                          • Slide 2
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                                                                                                                                          • Slide 8
                                                                                                                                          • Slide 9
                                                                                                                                          • Slide 10
                                                                                                                                          • Slide 11
                                                                                                                                          • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
                                                                                                                                          • Slide 13
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                                                                                                                                          • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                          • Slide 81

                                                                                                                                            AV-His Bundle ablation

                                                                                                                                            In patients who have failed antiarrhythmic therapy or who have failed RFA and who

                                                                                                                                            are symptomatic palliative therapy with AV-His Bundle ablation can eliminate rapid

                                                                                                                                            ventricular rates but it does require a permanent pacemaker to be placed as this

                                                                                                                                            procedure creates third-degree heart block

                                                                                                                                            Questions

                                                                                                                                            • Slide 1
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                                                                                                                                            • Slide 8
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                                                                                                                                            • Slide 10
                                                                                                                                            • Slide 11
                                                                                                                                            • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                                                                                            • Anti - coagulation therapy
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                                                                                                                                              Questions

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                                                                                                                                              • Rate versus rhythm control which is superior
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                                                                                                                                              • Anti - coagulation therapy
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