Rapid loading of sotalol or amiodarone for management of recent onset symptomatic atrial fibrillation: a randomized, digoxin-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Amiodarone and sotalol are commonly used for the maintenance of sinus rhythm, but the efficacy of these agents administered as high-dose infusions for rapid conversion of atrial fibrillation is unknown. Use in this context would facilitate drug initiation in patients in whom ongoing prophylactic therapy is indicated. METHODS: We assessed the efficacy and safety of rapid high-dose intravenous infusions of amiodarone and sotalol for heart rate control and rapid reversion to sinus rhythm in patients who came to the emergency department with recent-onset symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Patients (n = 140) were randomized to receive 1.5mg/kg of sotalol infused in 10 minutes, 10mg/kg of amiodarone in 30 minutes, or 500 microg of digoxin in 20 minutes. Electrical cardioversion was attempted for patients not converting to sinus rhythm within 12 hours. RESULTS: The rapid infusion of sotalol or amiodarone resulted in more rapid rate control than digoxin. Each of the 3 trial strategies resulted in similar rates of pharmacological conversion to sinus rhythm (amiodarone, 51%; sotalol, 44%; digoxin, 50%; P = not significant). The overall rates of cardioversion after trial drug infusion and defibrillation were high for all groups (amiodarone, 94%; sotalol, 95%,; digoxin, 98%; P = not significant), but there was a trend toward a higher incidence of serious adverse reactions in the amiodarone group. CONCLUSION: The rapid infusion of sotalol or amiodarone in patients with symptomatic recent-onset atrial fibrillation results in rapid control of ventricular rate. Even with high-dose rapid infusions, all 3 agents are associated with a poor overall reversion rate within 12 hours. Almost all patients were returned to sinus rhythm with a combination of pharmacological therapy and electrical cardioversion.

Analysis of a novel expanded tip wire (ETW) antenna for microwave ablation of cardiac arrhythmias.

A novel expanded tip wire (ETW) catheter antenna is proposed for microwave ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The antenna is designed as an integral part of coaxial cable so that it can be inserted via a 6F catheter. A numerical model based on the rotationally symmetric finite-difference time-domain technique incorporating the generalized perfectly matched layer as the absorbing boundary condition has been utilized to accurately model the interaction between the antenna and the myocardium. Numerical and in-vitro experimental results are presented for specific absorption rate, return loss and heating pattern produced by the antenna. Both numerical modeling and in-vitro experimentation show that the proposed ETW antenna produces a well-defined electric field distribution that provides continuous long and linear lesions for the treatment of AF.

Increasing power versus duration for radiofrequency ablation with a high superfusate flow: implications for pulmonary vein ablation?

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of pulmonary veins (PVs) is a new treatment for atrial fibrillation. Low energy ablation is usually used for this procedure. The effect of superfusate flow on lesion formation in this setting has not been studied previously. We examined lesion dimensions and intramural temperatures with varying powers and duration of RF application in this high flow environment. Ablation of fresh bovine hearts was performed with a 4-mm tip RF catheter in temperature control mode, target temperature 50 degrees C. At power levels of 20 W, 30 W, 40 W, and 50 W, effects of PV flow (no flow or 1 L/min) and 60- and 120-second durations were tested. Tissue temperatures were recorded at depths of 1, 4, 7, and 10 mm. Without flow, no lesions were created. The lowest power setting for lesion creation was 30 W at 60 seconds and 20 W at 120 seconds. Increasing power from 30 W to 50 W for 60 seconds increased lesion depth 0.7 mm (SE 0.3), P = 0.03 and 2.5 mm (SE 0.6), P = 0.003, at 120 seconds. Increasing RF application duration from 60 to 120 seconds increased depth for 30 W by 0.9 mm (SE 0.5), P = NS, 40 W 1.7 mm (SE 0.4), P = 0.002, and 50 W 2.6 mm (SE 0.5), P < 0.001. Power of 50 W for 60 seconds and >30 W for 120 seconds created lesions deeper than the wall thickness of a PV. Flow is necessary for creation of lesions with low power, low tip temperature RF ablation. When a resistant site to ablation is encountered, increasing duration of ablation is best for increasing lesion depth. Higher power has the potential to create lesions deeper than the PV wall and may increase the risk of complications.

Comparison of epicardial and endocardial linear ablation using handheld probes.

BACKGROUND: The optimal technique for producing linear radiofrequency thermal lesions in myocardial tissue is unclear. We compared epicardial ablation on the beating heart with endocardial ablation after cardioplegia. METHODS: Radiofrequency lesions were produced using a multielectrode malleable handheld probe in ovine myocardium with three wall thicknesses. Detailed analysis of lesion dimensions was used to assess the effects of site of ablation, muscle thickness, and duration of ablation. RESULTS: After epicardial atrial ablation, myocardial lesions were detected in all sections without macroscopically visible epicardial fat (n = 10), but only 43% (6/14) of sections with epicardial fat. Three of 24 atrial epicardial sections (13%) and 92% (23/25) of endocardial atrial lesion sections were clearly transmural. In thicker tissues lesion depth was independent of endocardial (right ventricle: 3.9 +/- 1.1 mm, left ventricle: 3.8 +/- 0.7 mm) or epicardial (right ventricle: 3.4 +/- 0.6 mm, left ventricle: 4.3 +/- 0.9 mm) ablation site. Epicardial lesions are less deep in thinner areas of myocardium (p = 0.003). Lesions were all wider than they were deep. There was no significant increase in lesion depth with the increase in ablation duration from 1 to 2 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Lesions were unlikely to be transmural with either technique when the wall thickness was greater than about 4 mm. Epicardial fat has an important negative effect on epicardial lesion formation. Where epicardial fat is absent epicardially produced lesions penetrate less deeply when the wall thickness is small, possibly due to endocardial cooling by circulating blood. Prolongation of the duration of ablation from 1 to 2 minutes does not significantly increase lesion depth.