Korean Circ J.  1989 Mar;19(1):125-131. 10.4070/kcj.1989.19.1.125.

Relation between the Efficacy of Amiodarone on Chronic Atrial Fibrillation and Left Atrial Size and Fibrillatory Wave Form

• Hong YK
• Seo HS
• Oh DJ
• Ro YM

• KMID: 1670381
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.1989.19.1.125

Abstract

To assess the efficacy of amiodarone on chronic atral fibrillation(AF) and to evaluate the relation between the ability to convert AF to sinus rhythm (SR) with amiodarone therapy and left atrial(LA) size and atrial fibrillatory wave forms, 22 patients with AF, aged 40 to 60 years(mean 47.5 years), were studied. Nine patients(40.9%) had mitral valvaular heart disease, 6(27.3%) hypertension, 5(18.2%) lone AF and 2 (9.1%) cadiomyopathy. Amiodarone therapy with either 600mg for 1 week, 200mg for 4 weeks in 5 consecutive patients, or 800mg for 1 week, 400mg for 4 weeks and 200mg for 6 weeks in 17 patients, converted AF to SR in 9(40.9%) patients 3 to 6 weeks after amiodarone was started on. In either group, patients who achieved conversion had smaller LA size(mean 43.7mm) than those who failed conversion(mean50.2mm)(P<0.05). Those who had LA size less than 45mm achieved conversion of AF to SR in 70%, comparing to 16.7% in patients with LA size more than 46mm(P<0.05). Among patients who achieved conversion, LA size was less than 46mm in 77.8% comparing to 23.1% in patients who failed conversion on Amiodarone. Those with coarse AF(46.2mm), althogh the difference was not significant statistically. There was no converstion in patients with LA size greater then 58mm and in patients with coarse AF who concomittantly had MVD. These findings suggest that the efficacy of amiodarone was related to LA size, and to the atrial fibrillation wave form in patients with mitral valvular heart disease.

MeSH Terms

Amiodarone*
Atrial Fibrillation*
Heart Diseases
Heart Valve Diseases
Humans
Hypertension
Amiodarone