title: Comparison of the effects of bepridil and aprindine for the prevention of atrial fibrillation after cardiac and aortic surgery: A prospective randomized study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately one-third of the patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery reportedly experience paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) during the postoperative period. However, the usefulness of antiarrhythmic drugs for preventing postoperative AF recurrence in the Japanese population has not been extensively studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a total of 118 patients who developed postoperative paroxysmal AF between April 2009 and March 2011, 72 patients (45 men, mean age 68±8 years) requiring treatment for postoperative AF due to symptoms lasting ≥30 min were enrolled to prospectively investigate the efficacy of oral bepridil (100 mg/day, n=37) or aprindine (40 mg/day, n=35).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AF recurrence-free survival rates at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days were 100%, 94%, 57%, and 49%, respectively, in the aprindine group, and 100%, 97%, 86%, and 76%, respectively, in the bepridil group (P=0.028, aprindine vs. bepridil).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bepridil, at a fixed dose of 100 mg/day, was considered to be more effective than a routine dose of aprindine for the prevention of postoperative AF recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Mahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Fusanori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kunugita
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okabayashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardioangiology, Nephrology and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Memorial Heart Center, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
keywords: Aprindine; Atrial fibrillation; Bepridil; Cardiovascular surgery; Prevention