Recurrence of atrial fibrillation after internal cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation: prognostic importance of electrophysiologic parameters.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the extent of atrial electrical remodeling affects the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardioversion of persistent AF (PAF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Internal atrial cardioversion was performed in 47 patients with PAF. The right atrial monophasic action potential duration (RA-MAPD) at pacing cycle lengths (PCLs) of 800-300 ms and P wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram were recorded after cardioversion. Bepridil (150-200 mg/day) and carvedilol (10 mg/day) were administered to all patients after cardioversion. Of the 47 patients, 20 had recurrent AF within 3 months. No relation was observed between age, left atrial dimension, left ventricular ejection fraction, and AF recurrence. The AF duration was significantly longer (p<0.05) and RA-MAPD at PCLs of 800 to 300 ms were significantly shorter (p<0.05) in patients with AF recurrence than in those without recurrence. The mean slope of the RA-MAPD for PCLs between 600 and 300 ms did not differ between the patients with and without AF recurrence. The filtered P-wave duration (FPD) was significantly longer in the patients with AF recurrence than in those without (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis also showed that the RA-MAPD at a PCL of 300 ms and FPD were predictors of AF recurrence (RAMAPD: p=0.038; FPD: p=0.052).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that electrical remodeling related to the repolarization and depolarization may be the main contributors to early AF recurrence after cardioversion under the administration of bepridil and carvedilol.