title: Efficacy of dronedarone versus propafenone in the maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to compare the efficacy of dronedarone and propafenone in maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after electrical cardioversion.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this single-center, open-label, randomized trial, we randomly assigned patients with AF after electrical cardioversion to receive dronedarone 400 mg BID or propafenone 150 mg TID. Follow-up clinical evaluations were conducted at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months of treatment. The primary end point was the time to the first recurrence of AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 98 patients were enrolled (79 men; mean age, 59.2 years; n = 49 per group). The median times to first recurrence of AF were 31 days in the dronedarone group and 32 days in the propafenone group (P = 0.715). The median (interquartile range) ventricular rates at first recurrence of AF were 76.5 (67.3-86.5) beats/min in the dronedarone group and 83.0 (71.0-96.0) beats/min in the propafenone group (P = 0.059).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dronedarone and propafenone had similar efficacies in maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with AF after electrical cardioversion. The ventricular rate at the first recurrence of AF was numerically but not statistically significantly lower in the dronedarone group than in the propafenone group. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01991119.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyeongmin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Byeon
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: June Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: yk.on@samsung.com.
authors.forename: Young Keun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: On
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000077764:Dronedarone; D004554:Electric Countershock; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011405:Propafenone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D011405:Propafenone; D000077764:Dronedarone; D000638:Amiodarone
keywords: atrial fibrillation; dronedarone; electrical cardioversion; propafenone