Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function before and after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm.
Echocardiographic measurements were obtained in 20 patients before cardioversion immediately after and two, four and six hours after cardioversion to normal sinus rhythm. At six hours after cardioversion there was no significant change in heart rate, left atrial diameters (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic diameters (LVEDD) or left ventricular end-systolic diameters (LVESD). On follow-up one month to nine months after cardioversion, 14 of the 20 patients (70%) remained in normal sinus rhythm. Neither LAD, LVEDD, or LVESD, nor the presence or amplitude of the A-wave on the mitral valve echogram correlated with the persistence or normal sinus rhythm.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004554:Electric Countershock; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016276:Ventricular Function