title: Atrial fibrillation: new management strategies.
abstract: The main goal of therapy in atrial fibrillation is to restore sinus rhythm, if this is possible, to avoid adverse hemodynamic, electrical, and embolic consequences. The restoration of sinus rhythm is urgent if the patient is unstable. In a stable patient, if the duration is shorter than 48 hours and an atrial thrombus is unlikely, then sinus rhythm can be restored after initial rate control. If the duration of atrial fibrillation is more than 48 hours, the embolic risk may be significant, and anticoagulation will be required for 2 to 4 weeks before an attempt at cardioversion. In patients in whom sinus rhythm cannot be restored or maintained, the goal of therapy is rate control and reduction of embolic risk unless the risk of anticoagulation outweighs its benefit. In difficult cases, rate control may be accomplished with AV nodal ablation and pacemaker implantation or with one of the surgical procedures described above with varying degrees of normalization of the physiology. Although not included in this flow chart, we do not advocate episodic intermittent therapy for patients with infrequent episodes of atrial fibrillation because this could be potentially dangerous and may place the patient at a higher risk for developing proarrhythmia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, California.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D004077:Digoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004554:Electric Countershock; D006801:Humans; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004077:Digoxin