[Programmed esophageal stimulation of the atrium and the long-term effects of anti-arrhythmia therapy of atrial fibrillation and flutter].

The authors investigated the long-term effect of antiarrhythmic treatment on the maintenance of the sinus rhythm in a group of 32 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and flutter where the antiarrhythmic drug was selected because of negative results of tests by programmed atrial stimulation, using the method of oesophageal stimulation. After a one-year follow up 56% of the patients had permanently a sinus rhythm without paroxysms of supraventricular arrhythmia. Comparison with results of work evaluating the effectiveness of different antiarrhythmic drugs as regards maintenance of the sinus rhythm without testing suggests that selection of an antiarrhythmic drug by programmed stimulation of the atria by oesophageal stimulation has no predictive value for the effect of antiarrhythmic treatment.