title: [Atrial fibrillation--frequency control or cardioversion?].
abstract: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in need of treatment in clinic and practice. Nevertheless, many principles of therapy for the treatment of atrial fibrillation are based still at present on empirical principles but not on knowledge obtained in proved clinical trials. So far scientific data are not sufficient for therapy recommendation "cardioversion or rate control". At present this question is examined in randomized clinical trials; however, the results will not be available until at least the year 2000. Currently, the therapy strategy (cardioversion versus rate control) is decided individually. Doing this the complaints of the patients and the principle "nihil nocere" mainly determine the decision.
authors.affiliation: Erzgebirgsklinikum Annaberg, Klinik für Innere Medizin, Chemnitzer Strasse 15, 09456 Annaberg-Buchholz.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Volkmann
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004554:Electric Countershock; D006801:Humans; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents