title: Prevalence and distribution of focal triggers in persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relevance of focal triggers in persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LSPAF) has not been previously investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We prospectively evaluated the prevalence and distribution of AF triggers in patients referred for catheter ablation of PerAF and LSPAF.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed consecutive patients undergoing first time AF ablation who underwent a standardized trigger protocol including cardioversion of induced or spontaneous AF and infusion of up to 20 μg of isoproterenol for 15-20 minutes either before or after pulmonary vein (PV) isolation accomplished. Triggers were defined as AF/sustained atrial tachyarrhythmia or repetitive atrial premature depolarizations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2168 patients were included (mean age 57 ± 11 years; 1636 [75%] men), with 1531 patients having paroxysmal AF (PAF) (71%), 496 having PerAF (23%), and 141 having LSPAF (7%). PV triggers were found in 1398 patients with PAF (91%), 449 patients with PerAF (91%), and 129 patients with LSPAF (91%) (P = .856 for comparison across groups). Non-PV triggers were elicited in a total of 234 patients (11%), and the prevalence was similar across the different types of AF (PAF, 165 [11%]; PerAF, 54 [11%]; LSPAF, 15 [11%]; P = .996 for comparison across groups).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVs are the main AF trigger site in patients with PerAF and LSPAF, with an overall prevalence similar to that found in patients with PAF. These results support the current recommendations for PV isolation as the cornerstone of catheter ablation to eliminate AF triggers in PerAF and LSPAF.
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santangeli
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Erica S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Zado
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Mathew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Supple
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Fermin C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Callans
authors.affiliation: Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: francis.marchlinski@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Francis E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Marchlinski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D018880:Atrial Premature Complexes / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery; D013612:Tachycardia, Ectopic Atrial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Catheter ablation; Focal triggers