Strategies for Successful Electrical Cardioversion in Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the world, and its management relies on restoring sinus rhythm through external electrical shock and controlling the heart rate. This procedure should be performed under sedation with strict monitoring of blood pressure and saturation after the elimination of thrombus in the left atrium. Objective: The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the impact of anticoagulation and imaging in the periprocedural period, the modalities, and the complications associated with electrical cardioversion (ECV). Research Method: A review of recent literature was conducted using medical databases such as PubMed and Scopus. Searches were performed on articles published between 2003 and 2024, focusing on the new ESC guidelines for 2024. The keywords used included “electrical cardioversion”, “atrial fibrillation”, “orthogonal cardioversion” and “anticoagulation”. Inclusion criteria encompassed clinical trials, meta-analyses, and literature reviews, while studies addressing other treatment forms for AF or lacking information on ECV were excluded. Relevant data were extracted and synthesized to provide an overview of the modalities and complications related to ECV in the context of AF. Results and Conclusion: The use of high-energy biphasic shocks significantly improves rhythm control success and also reduces the incidence of ventricular fibrillation. Furthermore, orthogonal electrical cardioversion (OECV) has proven effective for cases of AF refractory to standard protocols, allowing for a lower defibrillation threshold and promoting better current distribution. However, complications must be considered, particularly thromboembolic events in non-anticoagulated patients. Other complications, such as bradycardia and recurrence of AF, may arise post-procedure. It is therefore crucial to ensure adequate anticoagulation before and after ECV, as well as continuous monitoring, to minimize these risks and optimize clinical outcomes.

Emergency department procedural sedation for primary electrical cardioversion — a comparison with procedural sedations for other reasons

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation(AF) is the most common arrhythmia treated in the emergency department(ED), with primary electrical cardioversion(PEC) the preferred method of rhythm control. Anecdotally, patients undergoing ED procedural sedation(EDPS) for PEC differ from those requiring EDPS for other procedures: they are at higher risk of adverse events, and require fewer drugs and lower doses. We attempt to verify this using an EDPS registry at a Canadian, tertiary care teaching hospital.METHODS: This is a retrospective review of patients that underwent EDPS for the period of June 2006 to September 2014. We compared demographics, medication use and intra-procedural adverse events between those receiving EDPS for PEC for AF compared to that for other indications. We report the asssociation between AEs and predictors using logistic regression.RESULTS: A total of 4 867 patients were included, 714 for PEC for AF and 4 153 for other indications. PEC patients were more likely male(58.5% vs. 47.1%), older(59.5 years vs. 48.1 years), and less likely to be ASA I(46.6% vs. 69.0%). PEC patients received smaller doses of propofol and less likely to receive adjuvant analgesic therapy(11.5% vs. 78.2%). PEC patients were more likely to experience hypotension(27.6% vs. 16.5%) but respiratory AEs(apnea, hypoxia and airway intervention) were not different.CONCLUSION: EDPS for PEC differs from that conducted for other purposes: patients tend to be less healthy, receive smaller doses of medication and more likely to suffer hypotension without an increase in respiratory AEs. These factors should be considered when performing EDPS.

Understanding the effect of propofol and electrical cardioversion on the systolic blood pressure of emergency department patients with atrial fibrillation

Dear editor, We read with pleasure the well-designed study by Butler et al of electrical cardioversion of emergency department patients with atrial fibrillation. We appreciate their analysis of the distinctives of procedural sedation when employed for this indication. Understanding the dosing adjustments to propofol undertaken by their sedationists will help us more carefully evaluate our own approach to sedating patients undergoing electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

Electrical cardioversion for supraventricular arrhythmias in octagenarians

Atrial fibrillation(AF)is the most common arrhythmia in the elderly and its incidence increases with aging.[1]Electrical cardioversion is used as a strategy for rhythm control in patients with supraventricular arrhythmias.In octagenarians,there are challenges associated with the indication for electrical cardioversion,such as the use of appropriate sedation and anticoagulant agents.Most decisions in clinical practice for these patients derive from observational data and personal experience,since octagenarians represent a minority of patients included in randomized clinical trials.Little evidence is available regarding the clinical context of electrical cardioversion in this vulnerable population.Therefore,we aimed to describe the clinical profile of octagenarians undergoing electrical cardioversion in a cardiology reference center from 2014 to 2018.

Approach to Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Type Arrhythmia in a Cardiology Service:A Case Report

Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac arrhythmia of high prevalence in the population, especially in the elderly. Its main electrical characteristics are the interval between two successive irregular R waves, absence of P waves and presence of f waves between QRS complexes. The most common symptoms of atrial fibrillation are irregular palpitations associated with dyspnea, dizziness, feeling tired, fatigue and general malaise, but not all patients have any symptoms. The present report presents the history of an elderly patient who arrived at the hospital’s emergency department with irregular heart rhythm and palpitations. The patient’s symptoms, associated with the electrocardiogram results, indicated paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Electrical cardioversion was performed, and after, cardiac ablation via the femoral vein at the hospital’s cardiology service. There were no complications during the procedure. As a routine imaging exam after ablation, control esophagogastroduodenoscopy was requested to verify that there was no formation of atrio-esophageal fistula developed by the invasive ablation procedure and electrocardiogram, which showed normal sinus rhythm. The patient remained in the cardiac intensive care unit for observation for 24 hours. After the electrical cardioversion and catheter ablation procedures, the patient improved his clinical picture of atrial fibrillation and was discharged after 24 hours of hospitalization. He received treatment to perform at home, to reduce acid reflux into the esophagus and to prevent thrombosis. He did not present pulmonary thromboembolism after hospital discharge. It is believed, therefore, that this form of treatment and management of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is effective for the solution of the proposed problem and can also serve as a reference for other professionals within the cardiology service.