title: [Efficacy and safety of ibutilide for conversion of atrial fibrillation/flutter].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous ibutilide for conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) to sinus rhythm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine consecutive patients aged 18-75 y with AF/AFL were included. The duration of arrhythmia was <90 d (1 h-90 d) and ventricular rate was >60 beats/min. Patients were assigned randomly into two groups: 49 patients in ibutilide group received ibutilide 1 mg, then repeated if AF/AFL was not converted after 10 min; 50 patients in propafenone group received propafenone 70 mg, then repeated if AF/AFL persisted after 10 min. Two drugs were diluted by 50 ml of 5% glucose and injected intravenously within 10 min.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ventricular rates were decreased in both groups. AF/AFL were converted in 34 of 49 patients (69.4 % ) in ibutilide group and in 22 of 50 patients (44.0 %) in propafenone group (P <0.05). The converting time of ibutilide was significantly shorter than that of propafenone [(16.79 ± 12.31) min compared with (36.92 ± 11.38)min, P <0.01]. The most serious adverse effect of ibutilide was non-sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (3/49,6.12 %). Transient hypotension and heart pause were the main adverse events in patients who received propafenone, acute left heart failure occurred in one patient of propafenone group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous ibutilide is a safe and effective agent for cardioversion of recent-onset AF/AFL. Furthermore,strict processing under electrocardio-monitoring is important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hangzhou First Municipal Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China. cyq6395@sina.com
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Meixiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Changsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Shulong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanzong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011405:Propafenone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013449:Sulfonamides; C067192:ibutilide; D011405:Propafenone