Prevention of atrial fibrillation – Related resources

Cochrane reviews

• Pharmacological therapies or pacing appear to be favourable interventions for prevention of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery .
• Several class IA, IC and III drugs, as well as class II (beta-blockers), appear to be moderately effective in maintaining sinus rhythm after conversion of atrial fibrillation but they increase adverse events, including pro-arrhythmia, and some of the (disopyramide, quinidine and sotalol) may increase mortality .

Clinical guidelines

• Kirchhof P, Benussi S, Kotecha D et al. 2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS. Eur Heart J 2016;37(38):2893-2962. Camm AJ, Lip GY, De Caterina R et al. 2012 focused update of the ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation: an update of the 2010 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation. Developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association. Eur Heart J 2012;33(21):2719-47. European Heart Rhythm Association, European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Camm AJ et al. Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation: the Task Force for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Eur Heart J 2010;31(19):2369-429.
• January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS et al. 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation 2014;130(23):e199-267. Fuster V, Rydén LE, Cannom DS et al. 2011 ACCF/AHA/HRS focused updates incorporated into the ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines. Circulation 2011;123(10):e269-367.

Other Internet resources

• FDA Drug Safety Communication on dronedarone

Literature

Clinical practice reviews

• Lafuente-Lafuente C, Mahé I, Extramiana F. Management of atrial fibrillation. BMJ 2009 Dec 23;339():b5216.
• Lip GY, Tse HF. Management of atrial fibrillation. Lancet 2007 Aug 18;370(9587):604-18.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses

• Vassallo P, Trohman RG. Prescribing amiodarone: an evidence-based review of clinical indications. JAMA 2007 Sep 19;298(11):1312-22.
• Madrid AH, Peng J, Zamora J et al. The role of angiotensin receptor blockers and/or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in the prevention of atrial fibrillation in patients with cardiovascular diseases: meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2004 Oct;27(10):1405-10.
• Calkins H, Reynolds MR, Spector P et al. Treatment of atrial fibrillation with antiarrhythmic drugs or radiofrequency ablation: two systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2009;2(4):349-61.

Other literature

• Patel C, Yan GX, Kowey PR. Dronedarone. Circulation 2009;120(7):636-44.
• Lubitz SA, Fischer A, Fuster V. Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. BMJ 2008 Apr 12;336(7648):819-26.
• Pappone C, Rosanio S, Augello G et al. Mortality, morbidity, and quality of life after circumferential pulmonary vein ablation for atrial fibrillation: outcomes from a controlled nonrandomized long-term study. J Am Coll Cardiol 2003 Jul 16;42(2):185-97.
• Zimetbaum P. Amiodarone for atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med 2007 Mar 1;356(9):935-41.