Peculiar atrial fibrillation in patients working with electric current.

During a period of 20 years, 8 patients with atrial fibrillation, without other cardiac abnormalities, resistant to electroconversion, but successfully defibrillated with quinidine, were examined. All were males, aged 40 to 50 years, working with electric current and exposed for many years to frequent electric shocks. The authors consider that chronic exposure to electric current induces a special form of atrial fibrillation, resistant to electric conversion. The inefficiency of the electroshock therapy in such cases might be explained by the increase of transthoracic impedance consecutive to repeated electrocutions.