Why the study?
Does a single radiofrequency application in the left upper pulmonary vein terminate persistent atrial fibrillation in a patient refractory to cardioversion?
Does a single radiofrequency application in the left upper pulmonary vein terminate persistent atrial fibrillation in a patient refractory to cardioversion?
A single radiofrequency application in the pulmonary vein can terminate persistent AF refractory to cardioversion, suggesting a rapidly firing focal trigger.
May support focal PV ablation in refractory persistent AF; hypothesis-generating and should not change practice.
This report describes the termination of persistent AF refractory to multiple cardioversions and antiarrhythmic therapy in a patient without structural heart disease, with a single radiofrequency application delivered in the left upper pulmonary vein. The observations and failure of repeated internal and external cardioversion suggest a rapidly firing arrhythmia focus sustaining atrial fibrillation amenable to curative pulmonary vein ablation.
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Herweg et al. (2003) studied this question.
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