title: Vernakalant: Perception of state of health in patients with a recent-onset atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vernakalant is a new, safe and effective drug used intravenously, which has proved to be more rapid in converting recent onset atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm compared to placebo, amiodarone, propafenone, and flecainide in clinical studies. Until now no study has been conducted comparing the perception of state of health in patients who received vernakalant versus propafenone or flecainide for conversion of recent-onset AF. The aim of our study is to compare the change of perception of state of health from screening to hour 2 in patients treated with vernakalant and propafenone or flecainide for conversion of recent-onset AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty hemodynamically stable patients with recent onset AF without structural heart disease were prospectively included. A single oral dose of propafenone 600 mg was administered to 30 patients, 30 patients received intravenous vernakalant and the remaining 20 patients received a single oral dose of flecainide 300 mg. Clinical, laboratory variables and perception of state of health from screening to hour 2 treated with these drugs measured by the EQ-5 D quality-of-life assessments visual analog scale were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics were similar in the three groups. Treatment with vernakalant resulted in a significantly greater improvement in patient perception of state of health at hour 2 compared with propafenone and flecainide. In the vernakalant group, a mean increase (from baseline) of 12.1 points was seen compared with a mean increase of 5.4 points in the propafenone group or 5.2 points in flecainide group (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The change of perception of state of health from screening to hour 2 treated with vernakalant had a significantly statistical improvement compared with propafenone or flecainide for conversion recent-onset AF.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Emergency Care Section, Instituto Cardiovascular de Buenos Aires, Argentina. drconde@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conde
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Costabel
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aragon
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lambardi
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trivi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000840:Anisoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005424:Flecainide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011405:Propafenone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D061567:Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000840:Anisoles; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D061567:Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers; D011405:Propafenone; C524581:vernakalant; D005424:Flecainide