Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation with low energy internal electric shock.

The efficacy and safety of low internal cardioversion for the reduction of atrial fibrillation was assessed prospectively in 104 consecutive patients. Sixty-two patients had chronic atrial fibrillation (Group I), 16 patients had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (Group II) and 26 patients had induced atrial fibrillation (Group III), The average duration of the current episode of atrial fibrillation was 9 +/- 19 months in Group I, 4 +/- 2 days in Group II and 18 +/- 7 minutes in Group III. Two intracardiac defibrillation catheters were used, one (the cathode) in the right atrium and the other in the coronary sinus or left branch of the pulmonary artery (anode). These catheters were connected to an external defibrillator delivering biphasic 3/3 ms shocks with a voltage which could be programmed from 10 to 400 volts. The shocks were synchronised on the R wave. Sinus rhythm was restored in 44 of the 62 patients in Group I (70 %), 12 of the 16 patients in Group II (75 %) and 20 of the 26 patients in Group III (77 %). The average voltages and energies restoring sinus rhythm were 300 +/- 68 volts and 3.5 +/- 1.5 joules respectively in Group I, 245 +/- 72 volts and 2.0 +/- 2.9 joules in Group II, and 270 +/- 67 volts and 2.6 +/- 1.2 joules in Group III. These results show that the energy required to restore sinus rhythm is significantly greater in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation than in patients with paroxysmal or induced atrial fibrillation. There were no ventricular proarrhythmic effects in the 686 shocks synchronised on the R wave. This study shows that internal cardioversion of atrial fibrillation is feasible with low energies under simple sedation. These results support the concept of an implantable atrial defibrillator.