title: Extensive antiarrhythmic drugs after catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Whether early rhythm suppression with extensive antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) in persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation decreases arrhythmia recurrence is unknown. We now report the 12-month follow-up data in this prospective and randomized study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  123 consecutive patients with persistent AF undergoing catheter ablation were randomly divided into an extensive AADs therapy group (group 1:62 patients using both class Ic and III AADs) or one AAD therapy group (group 2:61 patients using class Ic or III AADs alone) for the initial 2 months after ablation. Recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATa) was valuated at both 2 months and 12 months following ablation. During the first 2 months after ablation, less ATa were found in group 1 compared with group 2 (17/62 versus 29/61, P = 0.021). However, there was no difference with regard to ATa at 12 months between the groups (21/62 versus 22/61, P = 0.799). ATa at 2 months and left atrial diameter (LAD) were the statistically significant predictors of ATa during 12-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While use of extensive AADs within the initial 2 months after persistent AF ablation decreases early ATa, it does not prevent late ATa. Moreover, LAD as well as early ATa is a strong predictor of ATa at 12 months.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jianing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yuanlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yugang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone