Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common and distressing cardiac arrhythmia and accounts for 1% of the healthcare budget in the UK and it's prevalence is rising. Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include palpitations, chest pain , shortness of breath and fatigue, with quality of life measures reduced for patients with persistent AF, increased stroke risk and increased all cause mortality rates. DC Cardioversion is used to restore normal sinus rhythm in patients with persistent AF. It has a high success rate but reoccurence of AF is common. The use of anti arrhythmic drugs (AADs) can augment the number of patients remaining in sinus rhythm at one year, with amiodarone currently the most superior. Unfortunately it can have serious side affects. Dronedarone is a related drug designed specifically to minimise the most serious side affects and is no approved and used prominently in the management of non permanent AF. However it has not yet been studied in a post DC Cardioversion population. Patients in persistent AF who are referred for elective DC Cardioversionwill be randomised to receive either Amiodarone or Dronedarone to compare the ability to help maintain sinu rhythm post cardioverion in one NHS hospital. Patients will be followed up for a year post cardioversion to see if they stay in sinus rhythm. Ho: there will be no difference in maintenance of sinus rhythm with the use of amiodarone or dronedarone
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Visit One:. Once consent is given patarticipants will be randomised into either group and instructed and prescribed the drug as appropriate. Visit Two: Patients will attend for routine cardioversion. This is performed by an experienced CCU nurse as per normal protocol. Patients will also undergo an ECG, and fill in symptom and quality of life (QoL) questionnaires. Visit Three: Patients will attend a routine outpatient appointment 6 weeks post cardioversion. They will undergo ECG and fill in symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Four: Participants will attend at 12 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Five: Participants will attend at 24 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Six: Participants will attend at 36 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Seven: Participants will attend at 52 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires. Participants will then be followed up as per protocol by their consultant cardiologist.
Visit One: patarticipants will be randomised into either group and instructed and prescribed the drug as appropriate. Visit Two: Patients will attend for routine cardioversion. This is performed by an experienced CCU nurse as per normal protocol. Patients will also undergo an ECG, and fill in symptom and quality of life (QoL) questionnaires. Visit Three: Patients will attend a routine outpatient appointment 6 weeks post cardioversion. They will undergo ECG and fill in symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Four: Participants will attend at 12 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Five: Participants will attend at 24 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Six: Participants will attend at 36 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires Visit Seven: Participants will attend at 52 weeks for ECG, symptom and QoL questionnaires. Participants will then be followed up as per protocol by their consultant cardiologist.
Eastbourne General Hospital
Eastbourne, East Sussex, United Kingdom
maintenance of sinus rhythm at one year post DC Cardioversion
Time frame: 1 year
tolerability of amiodarone compared to dronedarone
Time frame: 1 year
measures of quality of life and symptoms in amiodarone compared to dronedarone
Time frame: 1 year
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.