title: [Atrial fibrillation].
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. AF has now been exhaustively studied: more is known about its mechanism and research is moving towards new forms of treatment. For chronic AF, basically the control of ventricular rate and the brain protection are the main issues. It is well known that with the identification of high risk group for embolism, oral anticoagulation should be administered. Ventricular rate control can be achieved by using betablockers or calcium channel blockers, unless these are contraindicated for the elderly. Oral anticoagulation prevents the stroke. The main mechanism of AF is the re-entry of multiple wavelets, but now it is more frequently found on patients with focal AF. Therapies are employed to bring the patient to a sinusal rhythm as soon as possible with antiarryhthmics or electric cardioversion externally or internally. The internal procedure includes 1 to 15 J and the success rate is of 91% vs 67% in relation to the external one. The introduction of the catheter ablation has opened new frontiers for the treatment of AF, first as the ablate-and-pace technique and now trying to mimic the maze procedure or with the ablation of the focal tachycardia. The stimulation for prevention of AF under research, as well as the implantable dysfibrillation for selected patients. On going studies will show the possible benefit of this type of benefits.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Electrocardiografía y Arritmias, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, INCICH, Juan Badiano No. 1, 14080 México, D.F.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Colín Lizalde
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans