CONTEXT Atrial fibrillation is a common, but potentially preventable, complication following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. OBJECTIVES To assess the nature and consequences of atrial fibrillation after CABG surgery and to develop a comprehensive risk index that can better identify patients at risk for atrial fibrillation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective observati...

The mechanisms of atrial fibrillation relate to the presence of random reentry involving multiple interatrial circuits. Triggers for development of atrial fibrillation include rapidly discharging atrial foci (mainly from pulmonary veins) or degeneration of atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia into fibrillation. Therapy for control of atrial fibrillation includes drugs, atrial pacing for those w...

A 62 year old man was admitted for evaluation of recurrent episodes of syncope. A surface ECG showed frequent repetitive premature ventricular complexes of right ventricular outflow tract origin. Ventricular fibrillation was inducible by programmed electrical stimulation but otherwise cardiac evaluation was unremarkable. A diagnosis of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation was made and an implant...

TOKES Adams attacks with loss of consciousness due to a sudden decline in cardiac output usually occurs in patients with complete heart block. The precipitating event is ventricular asystole, ventricular flutter-fibrillation or a combination of both arrhythmias. Ventricular fibrillation may follow a period of asystole, or ventricular fibrillation may precede a period of asystole. Infrequently t...

Ventricular fibrillation can be initiated in the isolated, perfused heart by injections of calcium chloride into the perfusion stream. It can also be initiated by perfusion with a K-free perfusion medium. These are related phenomena since the latter type of fibrillation will not occur if Ca is also removed from the perfusion medium. The mechanism by which Ca initiates fibrillation is unknown. T...

BACKGROUND The goal of the report was to study the long-term incidence and the independent predictors for chronic atrial fibrillation and stroke in 507 paced patients with sick sinus syndrome, adjusting for differences in baseline clinical variables with multivariate analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS From 1980 to 1989, we implanted 376 dual-chamber, 19 atrial, and 112 ventricular pacemakers to tr...

OBJECTIVE The angiotensin-converting enzyme gene is one of the most studied candidate genes related to atrial fibrillation. Among the polymorphisms of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene, the 2350 G/A polymorphism (rs4343) is known to have the most significant effects on the plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme concentration. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of...

INTRODUCTION Oral beta-blockers improve the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction, while atrial fibrillation worsens the prognosis of this population. The reduction of atrial fibrillation incidence in patients treated with beta-blockers could at least in part explain the benefits of this drug. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of beta-blockers on the incidence of atrial fib...

Background. The goal of the report was to study the long-term incidence and the independent predictors for chronic atrial fibrillation and stroke in 507 paced patients with sick sinus syndrome, adjusting for differences in baseline clinical variables with multivariate analysis. Methods and Results. From 1980 to 1989, we implanted 376 dual-chamber, 19 atrial, and 112 ventricular pacemakers to tr...