Hospital management of atrial fibrillation: Epidemiological data and therapeutic strategy in 100 consecutive patients.

Despite recent large scale trials, the management of atrial fibrillation re mains very variable. The authors report the results of a prospective study of the management of atrial fibrillation in their department. One hundred consecutive patients admitted for atrial fibrillation were incl uded in the study. The epidemiological and clinical data and the results of the therapeutic strategy were recorded prospectively. Three embolic complications occurred before hospital admission. The hospita l stay was marked by spontaneous reduction of atrial fibrillation in 14 cas es in the 6 hours following admission. The therapeutic strategy was the fol lowing : 40 arrhythmias were respected (well tolerated, > 1 year or with a left atrium 60 mm). Oral amiodarone (30 mg/Kg and 15 mg/Kg the next day) wa s given to 22 patients. Only 9 patients (41%) were converted (average delay of 12 hours). Four patients received intravenous amiodarone, reducing two arrhythmias. Twenty patients were treated by external electrical cardiovers ion of first intent and 14 after failure of pharmacological reduction. All of these procedures, early (after 48 hours anticoagulation and transoesopha geal echocardiography), or late (after 1 month of anticoagulation), restore d sinus rhythm without complications, especially embolic. This register showed a relatively low efficacy of oral amiodarone in the re duction of atrial fibrillation and underlines the efficacy and safety of ex ternal electrical cardioversion, even when performed early.