Why the study?
Does vernakalant improve rapid cardioversion in patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation?
Does vernakalant improve rapid cardioversion in patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation?
This review summarizes the trials that led to the incorporation of vernakalant into European guidelines for the rapid cardioversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation.
Supports European guideline use for vernakalant in recent-onset AF; leaves open need for comparative effectiveness trials.
Vernakalant is a new antiarrhythmic agent recently approved in Europe for the rapid cardioversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation. It works by blocking early-activating K+ atrial channels and frequency-dependent atrial Na+ channels, prolonging atrial refractory periods and rate-dependent slowing atrial conduction, without promoting ventricular arrhythmia. Preclinical and clinical trials showed good toleration of this drug. The main purpose of our review is to describe all the trials that led to the incorporation of vernakalant into the current European atrial fibrillation guidelines.
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Vizzardi et al. (2013) studied this question.
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