Research In Brief
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
New approach for AF shows promise: Far-field antifibrillation - field electrodes delivering a short train of low-intensity electric pulses at the frequency of anti-tachycardia pacing - can terminate atrial fibrillation without the side effects of traditional high-voltage AF cardioversion, a canine study published in the August 11 issue of Circulation shows. The study was led by Flavio Fenton, Ph.D., Cornell University, and Stefan Luther, Ph.D., Planck Institute in Gottingen, Germany. In the study, the far-field approach terminated AF in 93% of attempts by generating wave emission sites within the tissue. "Further studies are needed to determine whether this marked reduction in energy can increase the effectiveness and safety for terminating atrial tachyarrhythmias clinically," the authors conclude