Atrial fibrillation pharmacotherapy

Wittkowsky AK, Kenyon KW, The role of oral direct thrombin inhibitors in atrial fibrillation, Pharmacotherapy 2004 24 190S-1 98S,... 

FIGURE 6-6. Decision algorithm for long-term ventricular rate control with oral drug therapy for patients with paroxysmal or permanent atrial fibrillation, bpm, beats per minute CCB, calcium channel blocker (diltiazem or verapamil) HF, heart failure LV, left ventricular function LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction. (Algorithm adapted with permission from Tisdale JE, Moser LR. Tachyarrhythmias. In Mueller BA, Bertch KE, Dunsworth TS, et al. (eds.) Pharmacotherapy Self-Assessment Program, 4th ed. Kansas City American College of Clinical Pharmacy 2001 ... 

Tsikouris JP, Cox CD. A review of class III antiarrhythmic agents for atrial fibrillation maintenance of normal sinus rhythm. Pharmacotherapy. 2001 21 1514-1529. 

Ferreira E, Sunderji R, Gin K. Is oral sotalol effective in converting atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm Pharmacotherapy 1997 ... 

The book is comprised of five sections with part I covering systemic and endoluminal therapy with an incisive overview of hemostasis and thrombosis part II covers local therapy with several chapters devoted to drug-eluting stents and restenosis therapies part III covers cell therapy and therapeutic angiogenesis and includes chapters on cell transplantation and clinical trials in cellular therapy part IV covers adjunctive pharmacotherapy with chapters devoted to various patient populations including those with heart failure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease,... 

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation carries the same stroke risk as persistent atrial fibrillation (Lip and Hee 2001 Saxonhouse and Curtis 2003) and should be treated similarly. There is no evidence that conversion to sinus rhythm followed by pharmacotherapy to try to maintain such rhythm is superior to rate control in terms of mortality and stroke risk (Segal et al. 2001 Blackshear and Safford 2003 Hart et al. 2003). 

Hilleman DE, Spinier SA. Conversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation with intravenous amiodarone a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacotherapy... 

Phillips BG, Gandhi AJ, Sanoski CA, et al. Comparison of intravenous diltiazem and verapamil for the acute treatment of atrial fibrillation and flutter. Pharmacotherapy 1997 17 1238-1245. 

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