A Promising New Agent for Cardioversion of Recent-Onset Atrial Fibrillation

Nearly 60% of patients treated with vernakalant hydrochloride converted to normal sinus rhythm within 12 minutes.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vernakalant hydrochloride — a new, relatively atrial-selective antiarrhythmic agent — in patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), researchers conducted a post hoc analysis of a subset of adult patients with AF duration of 3 to 48 hours from two large phase III trials.

Overall, 59.4% of 229 patients who received vernakalant (3 mg/kg intravenous infusion over 10 minutes) converted to normal sinus rhythm within 90 minutes, compared to 4.9% of 61 placebo recipients. The median time to cardioversion with vernakalant was 12 minutes. Hypotension occurred in 9.1% of vernakalant-treated patients in the first 24 hours and bradycardia in 8.7%; the drug was discontinued in 1.7% of patients. No patient d…

Reviewing Author

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)