Induction of atrial fibrillation with low-energy defibrillator shocks in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
In a population of 151 consecutive patients who received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, we found that atrial fibrillation was induced by low-energy shocks in 19% and was most common in patients with lead systems that included a right atrial electrode. Our finding that there was a fixed relation between the energy required to fibrillate (< or = 3 J) and defibrillate (> 3 J) suggests the presence of an upper limit of vulnerability in the human atrium.
Florin
T J
TJ
Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA.
Weiss
D N
DN
Peters
R W
RW
Shorofsky
S R
SR
Gold
M R
MR
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged