Atrial Fibrillation After Ventricular Defibrillation. Introduction:The induction of atrial fibrillation (AF) following implantable deflbrillator therapy of ventricular fibrillation carries multiple risks. The frequency of shock-induced AF may be more problematic in patients with transvenous deflbrillators because current is often delivered through atrial tissue. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of AF following transvenous ventricular defibrillation.Methods and Results: Atrial electrograms were recorded before and after energy delivery in patients undergoing intraoperative testing of transvenous defibrillation lead systems. A total of 114 tracings were examined from 21 patients following ventricular defibrillation. Transvenous deflbrillation shock strength ranged between 200-^800 volts (2-40 joules). Bipolar atrial electrograms were obtained from atrial electrodes with 1-cm interelectrode spacing located on one of the deflbrillation catheters. The timing of the ventricular deflbrillation shock was expressed as a percentage of the preceding sinus PP interval. Three of the 114 transvenous shocks (2.6%) generated AF. Each episode of AF occurred in a different patient. The shocks responsible for AF occurred at 21%, 43%, and 84% of the preceding sinus PP interval. No relation was found between AF induction and the timing of pulse delivery, pulse strength, or pulse number.Conclusion: We conclude that transvenous ventricular deflbrillation infrequently causes AF and that timing shock delivery to the atrial cycle is likely to be of marginal or no benefit in the prevention of shock-
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.