title: Efficacy of transthoracic cardioversion of atrial fibrillation using a biphasic, truncated exponential shock waveform at variable initial shock energies.
abstract: Biphasic shocks are more effective than damped sine wave monophasic shocks for transthoracic cardioversion (CV) of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the optimal protocol for CV with biphasic shocks has not been defined. We conducted a prospective, randomized study of 120 consecutive patients with persistent AF to delineate the dose-response curve for CV of AF with a biphasic truncated exponential shock waveform and to identify clinical predictors of shock efficacy. Our data suggest that the initial shock energy for CV with this waveform should be 200 J if the patient weighs <90 kg and 360 J if the patient weighs >/=90 kg.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. erasba@medicine.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rashba
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Fred A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Leman
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shorofsky
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies