title: The effect of conversion type on P wave dispersion in patients with atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether conversion type of atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm affects the P wave dispersion (PD) in patients with AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on conversion type, 95 consecutive patients with AF<3 months were divided into 3 groups: spontaneous cardioversion (SC) (N.=33, mean age: 60.6+/-11.6 years), pharmacologic cardioversion (PC) (N.=32, mean age: 59.2+/-9.6 years) and electrical cardioversion (EC) (N.= 30, mean age: 65.3+/-10.6 years). P wave duration (maximum and minimum) were measured in 12-lead ECG, and PD was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left atrial diameter and AF duration were significantly higher in EC (43.6+/-4.8 mm and 794.1+/-815.1 h) than SC (38.5+/-3.9 mm and 13.8+/-18.3 h) and PC (40.9+/-4.5 mm and 65.3+/-148.5 h) groups (P<0.01). P maximum was much longer in EC group compared with SC and PC group (121.6+/-9.7, 108.4+/-6.4 and 115.8+/-8.6 ms, P=0.01, respectively). There was a significant difference in PD among SC, PC and EC groups (44.4+/-9.2, 49.5+/-8.7 and 53.5+/-8.8 ms; P=0.005, respectively). PD correlated with AF duration (r=0.36, P=0.03), left atrial diameter (r=0.45, P=0.002) and conversion type (r=0.29, P=0.03). However, there was no significant association between PD and conversion type in multivariate analysis. The prolonged PD resulted from AF duration (P=0.01) and the left atrial size P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that conversion type of AF to sinus rhythm has no effect on P wave duration and independent of AF duration and the left atrial diameter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical School, Suleyman Demirel University, and Cardiology Unit, Public Hospital, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varol
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozaydin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gedikli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altinbas
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kinay
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nazli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergene
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged