Ibutilide to expedite Emergency Department therapy of recent onset atrial fibrillation - flutter

Abstract

PURPOSE: Ibutilide is a type III antiarrhythmic agent for the pharmacological conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFl). Previous studies conducted outside the Emergency Department (ED) setting have demonstrated conversion rates of 60 to 80%. This response has been highest in patients with recent onset AF. These observations and Ibutilide's 6-hour half-life, suggest that it may be an excellent drug with which to treat AF-AFl in the ED. The purpose of this study was to examine Ibutilide's efficacy in terminating AF-AFl in patients who present to the ED with symptoms of < 3 days’ duration, neither angina nor heart failure and no co-morbid condition that required admission.