14th International Congress
THE "NEW FRONTIERS"
OF ARRHYTHMIAS 2000

Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2000
Marilleva, Trento, Italy

RT-107

The dual defibrillation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation

Giuseppe Inama, Lorena Gramegna*, Maurizio Del Greco*, Tommaso Diaco, Ornella Durin, Marcello Disertori*.
Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Maggiore, Crema, *Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale S.Chiara, Trento, Italy

Introduction

Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent tachyarrhythmia in clinical practice; it causes disabling symptoms and worsening the quality of life in a majority of patients who are affected and can be dangerous for the frequent association of thromboembolic events¹. The results of the Framingham study well defined the morbidity and the mortality associated with this arrhythmia with greater risks of thromboembolism, significant increase in the level of hospitalization and mortality, independently of pre-existent cardiovascular risk factors. Freinberg estimated that about 2.2 milion people in the United States suffer from atrial fibrillation and more than 150000 patients are hospitalized for atrial fibrillation every year². The management of atrial fibrillation represents a complex clinical problem because of the prevalence of the phenomenon and of the limits of the therapeutical strategies. Several non-pharmacological options have been introduced, including pacemaker implantation, radiofrequency catheter ablation, surgical operations, and more recently the implantable atrial defibrillator. The development of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for the treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias has encouraged, in the last 5 years, a similar approach also for atrial fibrillation.