title: [Effect of oral cordarone in reversing persistent atrial fibrillation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the efficacy and safety of oral cordarone dir reversing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS; Eighty-two symptomatic chronic AF out-patients without history of acute diseases or severe hepatic/thyroid dysfunction were given oral cordarone at the loading dose of 200 mg thrice a day for 1-4 weeks followed by a twice-daily administration for another 1-4 weeks, with the maintenance dose of 200 or 100 mg once a day. The incidence of stroke and cardiac events and the mortality rate were compared between 43 patients with restored rhythm on cordarone and 39 patients on digoxin and/or betaloc for ventricular rhythm control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 82 patients, sinus rhythm restoration was achieved in 43, with a successful rate of 52%. In 18 patients, the ejection fraction increased from (32+/-8)% to (46+/-10)%, left atrium diameter decreased from (4.6+/-1.1) cm to (4.1+/-0.8) cm. Except for slight T4 increase, QT prolongation and bradycardia in 3 cases, severe side effects were not observed in this study. Only one patient with restored sinus rhythm required rehospitalization after half a year for worsened heart failure, but in patients with controlled ventricular rhythm, 1 developed stroke, 1 experienced heart attack and 1 died of heart failure with bleeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients with symptomatic reversible persistent AF, active treatment with cordarone can be convenient, effective and safe for sinus rhythm restoration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Municipal Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510080, China. zhaofu@163.com
authors.forename: Fu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shao-xian
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone