P-wave abnormality predicts recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion: a prospective study.

Background: Maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF) is related to atrial electrical inhomogeneity and resultant chaotic reentry. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that abnormalities of P morphology on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) predict recurrent AF following electrical cardioversion (ECV).

Methods: A 12-lead ECG was recorded after ECV for persistent AF in 77 patients (51 men, 65 ± 10 years) and repeated 1 month later.

Ventricular pauses during atrial fibrillation predict relapse after electrical cardioversion: a prospective study.

Aims: To investigate the use of ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in atrial fibrillation (AF) to predict recurrence after electrical cardioversion (ECV).

Methods: RR interval variables were obtained from 24 hours ECGs recorded before ECV in 119 patients (85 men, age 66 +/- 10 years) with persistent AF. Patients were followed for 1 month.

A distinctly bimodal distribution pattern in the RR interval histogram predicts early recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion.

Abnormal AV nodal behaviour could contribute to recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) after electrical cardioversion (ECV). We constructed RR interval histograms from 24-hour ECGs recorded before ECV in 98 patients with persistent AF. RR histograms were classified as unimodal or bimodal, and bimodal histograms classified into distinctly or indistinctly bimodal.

Distribution and prognostic significance of QT intervals in the lowest half centile in 12,012 apparently healthy persons.

The presence of an abnormally short QT interval has been noted among survivors of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and among close relatives of victims of unexplained sudden death. Most reported cases have had rate-corrected QT (QTc) intervals of <300 ms. The prevalence of such values in the community has not been documented.

Prognostic significance of serial P wave signal-averaged electrocardiograms following external electrical cardioversion for persistent atrial fibrillation: a prospective study.

The authors hypothesized that the persistence of abnormal atrial conduction detected by serial P wave signal-averaged electrocardiograms (P-SAECGs) can identify patients who are at high risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation (R-AF) following electrical cardioversion (ECV). P-SAECGs were recorded in 60 consecutive patients after ECV (53 men, age 66 +/- 10 years) and repeated in those who had remained in sinus rhythm (SR) 1 week, and 1, 3, and 6 months later. Filtered P wave duration (PD), root mean square (RMS) voltage of the terminal 40, 30, 20 ms (RMS-40, RMS-30, RMS-20) of the filtered P wave, RMS voltage of the entire filtered P wave (RMS-p), and the integral of the voltages in the entire P wave (integral-p) were analyzed.