Viraj P Raygor1, Jason Ng2, Jeffrey J Goldberger2. 1. Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 2. Center for Cardiovascular Innovation and the Division of Cardiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The electrocardiogram (ECG) fibrillatory (f) wave characteristics in atrial fibrillation (AF) could provide important information regarding the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drug therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: To measure the effects of dofetilide on the surface ECG f wave characteristics in patients with persistent AF, baseline and post-drug (2 hours after first dose and after multiple doses) ECGs in 31 patients with persistent AF admitted for dofetilide loading were evaluated. A QRST template subtraction algorithm was used to yield an atrial ECG. Fast Fourier transform analysis was performed to evaluate the maximum organizational index (OI), the dominant frequency (DF) in the lead with max OI, the median DF for all leads, and the vector magnitude f wave amplitude. Dofetilide reduced DF in the lead with the max OI (6.32 ± 0.98 Hz at baseline vs. 4.83 ± 0.63 Hz after final dose, P < 0.0001) and median DF (6.46 ± 0.87 Hz vs. 4.92 ± 0.62 Hz, P < 0.0001). Dofetilide also increased the maximum OI from 0.52 ± 0.11 at baseline to 0.59 ± 0.11 after final dose (P = 0.02). Of the 29 patients with long-term follow-up, the 22 (76%) with recurrent AF on dofetilide had a lower baseline DF in the lead with the max OI (6.01 ± 1.08 vs. 6.89 ± 0.46; P = 0.05). The change in DF after dofetilide did not correlate with the change in QTc interval. CONCLUSIONS: The standard ECG can be used to assess atrial rate in AF. This may be useful to assess antiarrhythmic drug effects for treatment of AF.
INTRODUCTION: The electrocardiogram (ECG) fibrillatory (f) wave characteristics in atrial fibrillation (AF) could provide important information regarding the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drug therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: To measure the effects of dofetilide on the surface ECG f wave characteristics in patients with persistent AF, baseline and post-drug (2 hours after first dose and after multiple doses) ECGs in 31 patients with persistent AF admitted for dofetilide loading were evaluated. A QRST template subtraction algorithm was used to yield an atrial ECG. Fast Fourier transform analysis was performed to evaluate the maximum organizational index (OI), the dominant frequency (DF) in the lead with max OI, the median DF for all leads, and the vector magnitude f wave amplitude. Dofetilide reduced DF in the lead with the max OI (6.32 ± 0.98 Hz at baseline vs. 4.83 ± 0.63 Hz after final dose, P < 0.0001) and median DF (6.46 ± 0.87 Hz vs. 4.92 ± 0.62 Hz, P < 0.0001). Dofetilide also increased the maximum OI from 0.52 ± 0.11 at baseline to 0.59 ± 0.11 after final dose (P = 0.02). Of the 29 patients with long-term follow-up, the 22 (76%) with recurrent AF on dofetilide had a lower baseline DF in the lead with the max OI (6.01 ± 1.08 vs. 6.89 ± 0.46; P = 0.05). The change in DF after dofetilide did not correlate with the change in QTc interval. CONCLUSIONS: The standard ECG can be used to assess atrial rate in AF. This may be useful to assess antiarrhythmic drug effects for treatment of AF.
Authors: Jeffrey J Goldberger; Rishi Arora; David Green; Philip Greenland; Daniel C Lee; Donald M Lloyd-Jones; Michael Markl; Jason Ng; Sanjiv J Shah Journal: Circulation Date: 2015-07-28 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Helena Carstensen; Eva Zander Hesselkilde; Maria Mathilde Haugaard; Mette Flethøj; Jonas Carlson; Steen Pehrson; Thomas Jespersen; Pyotr G Platonov; Rikke Buhl Journal: J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol Date: 2019-01-28