Transthoracic Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation

Medical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

I n managing patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the clinician is confronted with a series of complex tasks and decisions that directly influence the choice of therapy. These include identifying and treating the underlying causes and precipitating factors; achieving ventricular rate control; determining eligibility and choosing optimal timing and methodology for cardioversion (including app...

Atrial fibrillation cardioversion following acupuncture

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and it is an independent risk for serious events. Acupuncture has been growing in popularity in the West, and there are reports of its benefits in treating AF. We report a 57-year-old man who was admitted after having an allergic reaction to amiodarone administered to treat paroxysmal AF with fast ventricular response. Cardioversion with in...

Internal atrial cardioversion in atrial fibrillation.

The Role of Biphasic Shocks for Transthoracic Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation

The modern generation of transthoracic defibrillators now employ impedance compensated biphasic waveforms. These new devices are superior to those with monophasic waveforms and practice is currently switching to biphasic defibrillators for the treatment of both ventricular and atrial fibrillation. However, there is no universal guideline for the use of biphasic defibrillators in direct current ...

CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE Comparison of monophasic and biphasic shocks for transthoracic cardioversion of atrial fibrillation

Objective: To compare the efficacy of cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation between monophasic damped sine waveform and rectilinear biphasic waveform shocks at a high initial energy level and with a conventional paddle position. Design: Prospective randomised study. Patients and setting: 227 patients admitted for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation to a tertiary referral centre. R...