Faculty Sponsor

Jana Stedman

College

Nursing

Department/Program

Physician Assistant

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Summer 7-24-2024

Abstract

Objective: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia presenting to emergency departments in the United States. There are a multitude of options available for restoring normal sinus rhythm in patients who have acute onset of atrial fibrillation. The goal of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of electric and chemical cardioversion at restoring normal sinus rhythm for patients with acute onset atrial fibrillation. Methods: An extensive literature review was conducted through Google Scholar and Valpo Summons. This search yielded 11,228 results, of which six studies were chosen including 2 randomized control trials, 2 retrospective cohort study, meta analysis, and a randomized factorial study. These studies were chosen based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were published between 2012-2023 and examine cardioversion strategies in adult patients who have acute onset of atrial fibrillation. Primary endpoints included restoration of normal sinus rhythm. Results: There is conflicting data regarding the efficacy restoring of normal sinus rhythm between electrical and chemical cardioversion. Electrical cardioversion may result in quicker conversion times. Both methods are associated with a low adverse effect profile, including minimal risk of stroke and death. Conclusion: Both electrical and pharmacological cardioversion are effective at restoring normal sinus rhythm. The choice to pursue one method over another must be carefully considered by the provider taking into account the patient’s medical history and available resources at the setting of presentation.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation, electric cardioversion, pharmacologic cardioversion, chemical cardioversion

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Maddison Murphy has a special interest in neurosurgery and plans on working in this specialty at Bone and Joint Specialists in Northwest Indiana following graduation. She will be presenting on “Electrical versus Pharmacological Cardioversion for Acute Onset Atrial Fibrillation” because she developed an interest in these interventions following a familial event in June 2023. She is interested in investigating procedural versus pharmacological interventions for complex medical conditions such as atrial fibrillation.

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