Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac arrhythmia affecting 2.3 million people in the U.S., with numbers expected to rise to 5.6 million by 2050. The decision to cardiovert a patient is complex, influenced by factors like age, symptoms, and structural heart disease. A recent study, predominantly featuring a male sample, explored the electrocardiographic markers that could predict the success of cardioversion. The study found that most patients experience a recurrence of arrhythmia within a year post-cardioversion without prophylactic antiarrhythmic drugs. The study's limitations include a gender-biased sample and unclear long-term implications of a one-month cardioversion success rate.
Citation: Heston, TF, Cheng, A. Electrocardiographic Markers of Cardioversion Success in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter. Southern Medical Journal. 2009;102:877-878. https://doi.org/10.1097/SMJ.0B013E3181B08A4D