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Atrial Vulnerability and Electrophysiology Determined in Patients With and Without Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Author(s) -
KÜHLKAMP VOLKER,
HAASIS RAINER,
SEIPEL LUDGER
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1992.tb02903.x
Subject(s) - medicine , atrial fibrillation , cardiology , atrial flutter , p wave , atrium (architecture) , sinus rhythm , refractory period , effective refractory period , electrophysiology , paroxysmal atrial fibrillation , anesthesia
For elucidation of atrial electrophysiology and vulnerability an electrophysiological study was performed in 45 patients with documented paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and a control group (n =46), Atrial vulnerability was assessed by programmed atrial stimulation with up to two extrastimuli during sinus rhythm and paced cycle lengths of 600 msec, 430 msec and 330 msec. Sustained atrial fibrillation or flutter was induced in 37/45 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in contrast to 9/46 patients in the control group (P < 0.001), Left atrial diameter (M‐mode echocardiogram), P wave duration, sinus cycle length, sinus node recovery time, and the effective refractory period of the right atrium were not significantly different between the two study groups. Intraatrial conduction time from the high right atrium (HRA) to the basal right atrium (A) and the functional refractory period of the right atrium were significantly longer in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.