title: Early recurrence of arrhythmia in patients taking amiodarone or class 1C agents for treatment of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.
abstract: Amiodarone use for the prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter requires drug loading over a period of several days to weeks, whereas class 1C agents do not. Three hundred thirty-nine patients were evaluated during drug loading with amiodarone or class 1C agents, and it was found that recurrent arrhythmia was common, usually not persistent, and frequently asymptomatic. Recurrent arrhythmia was not more common with amiodarone.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. thauser@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Duane S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zimetbaum
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone