Identifying patients at high risk for the occurrence of atrial fibrillation is one means by which subsequent thromboembolic complications may be prevented. Left atrial enlargement is associated with progression of atrial remodeling, which is a substrate for atrial fibrillation, but impaired atrial pump function is also another aspect of the remodeling. Our objective was to differentiate patient...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of repeated cardioversion with an implantable atrial defibrillator on the clinical outcome of patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS The effects of the implantable atrial defibrillator on the total duration of atrial fibrillation, number of atrial fibrillation recurrences, and left atrial size were evaluated pros...

background rheumatismal mitral stenosis is less common today than it was several decades ago, but it is a common cause of mitral stenosis (ms) in the developing world. mitral valve stenosis symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, and shortness of breath especially with exertion. objectives the purpose of this prospective study was to determine the incidence of left atrial (la) thrombus and the ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the true efficacy of antitachycardia pacing on spontaneous persistent atrial fibrillation in patients with an implanted atrial defibrillator, by comparing the effects of nominal pacing treatment with subthreshold pacing treatment. DESIGN The effects of antitachycardia pacing and burst 50 Hz atrial pacing on spontaneous atrial arrhythmias were evaluated six months after imp...

BACKGROUND Left atrial appendage obliteration was historically ineffective for the prevention of postoperative stroke in patients with rheumatic atrial fibrillation who underwent operative mitral valvotomy. It is, however, a routine part of modern "curative" operations for nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation, such as the maze and corridor procedures. METHODS To assess the potential of left atria...

Objective: To assess the true efficacy of antitachycardia pacing on spontaneous persistent atrial fibrillation in patients with an implanted atrial defibrillator, by comparing the effects of nominal pacing treatment with subthreshold pacing treatment. Design: The effects of antitachycardia pacing and burst 50 Hz atrial pacing on spontaneous atrial arrhythmias were evaluated six months after imp...

We have applied the new technique of dual echocardiography to determine the sequence of atrial contraction as reflected in the simultaneously recorded movements of the tricuspid and mitral valves. The study group included 29 normal subjects and 23 patients with either atrial flutter, coarse atrial fibrillation or atrial tachycardia with block. In normal individuals, right atrial contraction pre...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of direct current cardioversion therapy on the plasma concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide and to determine the main factors that influence the change in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels in patients with atrial fibrillation. BACKGROUND In atrial arrythmias, whether the fast atrial rate itself or the associated elev...

BACKGROUND One quarter of strokes are of unknown cause, and subclinical atrial fibrillation may be a common etiologic factor. Pacemakers can detect subclinical episodes of rapid atrial rate, which correlate with electrocardiographically documented atrial fibrillation. We evaluated whether subclinical episodes of rapid atrial rate detected by implanted devices were associated with an increased r...

The atrial electrocardiogram was studied in eight patients who developed intermittent atrial fibrillation following myocardial infarction. Thirty-two episodes of onset of atrial fibrillation and 28 episodes of spontaneous cessation were observed. An atrial premature beat followed by atrial tachycardia of variable duration always preceded the onset of atrial fibrillation. Spontaneous cessation o...