Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

ATRIAL fibrillation is one of the most prevalent of the chronic rhythm disorders of the heart. It is a derangement with serious implications. Even when the patient is asymptomatic the arrhythmia is by no means innocuous. The increased tendency to atrial mural-thrombus formation threatens the propagation of systemic and pulmonary emboli. Between one quarter and one third of all patients with atrial fibrillation due to disease of the mitral valve experience clinically recognizable embolic events. Atrial fibrillation also impairs cardiac performance. This is especially likely in the heart already compromised by disease.The method of terminating atrial fibrillation has . . .