Skip Navigation

Europace 2005 7(1):34-39; doi:10.1016/j.eupc.2004.10.002
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Manios, E. G.
Right arrow Articles by Vardas, P. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Manios, E. G.
Right arrow Articles by Vardas, P. E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2005 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of successful cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation on right ventricular refractoriness and repolarization

Emmanuel G. Manios, Eleftherios M. Kallergis, Emmanuel M. Kanoupakis, Hercules E. Mavrakis, Helen K. Mouloudi, Nikolaos K. Klapsinos and Panos E. Vardas*

Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Heraklion P.O. Box 1352 Stavrakia Voutes, 7100 Heraklion, Crete, Greece

AIM: Changes in ventricular refractoriness and repolarization after successful electrical cardioversion to sinus rhythm in persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients were studied.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In 33 AF patients with controlled ventricular response, right ventricular ERP (VERP) at three basic cycle lengths (600, 500, 400 ms), as well as monophasic action potential duration (MAPd90) at a drive cycle length of 500 ms, were measured just before, 20 min and 24 h after cardioversion.

VERP at 600 ms changed from 241 ± 19 ms to 249 ± 21 ms to 253 ± 24 ms (P < 0.001), VERP at 500 ms changed from 234 ± 19 ms to 242 ± 22 ms to 246 ± 23 ms (P < 0.001) and VERP at 400 ms changed from 224 ± 20 ms to 232 ± 23 ms to 236 ± 24 ms (P < 0.001). MAPd90 changed from 247 ± 16 ms preconversion to 252 ± 17 ms 20 min postconversion to 253 ± 19 ms after 24 h (P < 0.05).

Change in refractoriness at 500 ms was well correlated with change of mean RR interval before and 20 min after conversion (R = 0.616, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between RR variability and VERP before cardioversion.

CONCLUSION: Restoration of sinus rhythm in persistent AF patients is followed by significant effects on ventricular refractoriness and repolarization related to cycle length change. No AF related ventricular electrophysiological alterations were found.

Key Words: atrial fibrillation, ventricular refractoriness, repolarization, cardioversion, monophasic action potential

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 2810 392 632; fax: +30 2810 542 055. E-mail address: cardio{at}med.uoc.gr (P.E. Vardas).


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.