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Atrial fibrillation signal organization predicts sinus rhythm maintenance in patients undergoing cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

Holmqvist, Fredrik LU ; Stridh, Martin LU ; Waktare, Johan E P ; Roijer, Anders LU ; Sörnmo, Leif LU ; Platonov, Pyotr LU and Meurling, Carl LU (2006) In Europace 8(8). p.559-565
Abstract
Electrical remodelling is believed to influence the outcome following cardioversion of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the results in clinical studies are conflicting. We assessed the hypothesis that non-invasively obtained atrial fibrillatory organization can be used as a predictor of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-four patients (37 men, age 67+/-11) with persistent AF (median duration 3 months, 1 day to 18 months), without anti-arrhythmic drug treatment, referred for cardioversion were studied. Assessment of the atrial harmonic decay was made by time-frequency analysis of the ECG. At 1-month follow-up, 30 patients had relapsed into AF. The mean harmonic decay at inclusion of those... (More)
Electrical remodelling is believed to influence the outcome following cardioversion of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the results in clinical studies are conflicting. We assessed the hypothesis that non-invasively obtained atrial fibrillatory organization can be used as a predictor of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-four patients (37 men, age 67+/-11) with persistent AF (median duration 3 months, 1 day to 18 months), without anti-arrhythmic drug treatment, referred for cardioversion were studied. Assessment of the atrial harmonic decay was made by time-frequency analysis of the ECG. At 1-month follow-up, 30 patients had relapsed into AF. The mean harmonic decay at inclusion of those relapsing into AF was 1.5+/-0.3 compared with 1.1+/-0.3 among those maintaining SR (P=0.0004). Using a cut-off value of harmonic decay <or=1.5 to determine suitability for cardioversion would have resulted in a clinically useful discriminator (sensitivity=92%, specificity=47%, PPV=59%, and NPV=88%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that patients relapsing rapidly to AF have a higher harmonic decay than those maintaining SR. The degree of AF signal organization (harmonic decay) was a superior discriminator to other patient parameters. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and to determine the electrophysiological correlate of harmonic decay. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Europace
volume
8
issue
8
pages
559 - 565
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000240628800001
  • scopus:33748052367
  • pmid:16831838
ISSN
1532-2092
DOI
10.1093/europace/eul072
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5d664948-df29-483b-98ec-70ddf6c3cacf (old id 159079)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16831838&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:10:21
date last changed
2022-01-26 23:47:34
@article{5d664948-df29-483b-98ec-70ddf6c3cacf,
  abstract     = {{Electrical remodelling is believed to influence the outcome following cardioversion of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the results in clinical studies are conflicting. We assessed the hypothesis that non-invasively obtained atrial fibrillatory organization can be used as a predictor of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-four patients (37 men, age 67+/-11) with persistent AF (median duration 3 months, 1 day to 18 months), without anti-arrhythmic drug treatment, referred for cardioversion were studied. Assessment of the atrial harmonic decay was made by time-frequency analysis of the ECG. At 1-month follow-up, 30 patients had relapsed into AF. The mean harmonic decay at inclusion of those relapsing into AF was 1.5+/-0.3 compared with 1.1+/-0.3 among those maintaining SR (P=0.0004). Using a cut-off value of harmonic decay &lt;or=1.5 to determine suitability for cardioversion would have resulted in a clinically useful discriminator (sensitivity=92%, specificity=47%, PPV=59%, and NPV=88%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that patients relapsing rapidly to AF have a higher harmonic decay than those maintaining SR. The degree of AF signal organization (harmonic decay) was a superior discriminator to other patient parameters. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and to determine the electrophysiological correlate of harmonic decay.}},
  author       = {{Holmqvist, Fredrik and Stridh, Martin and Waktare, Johan E P and Roijer, Anders and Sörnmo, Leif and Platonov, Pyotr and Meurling, Carl}},
  issn         = {{1532-2092}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{559--565}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Europace}},
  title        = {{Atrial fibrillation signal organization predicts sinus rhythm maintenance in patients undergoing cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/europace/eul072}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/europace/eul072}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}