Embolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation and effective anticoagulation: Value of Transesophageal echocardiography to guide direct-current cardioversion final results of the Ludwigshafen observational cardioversion study

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2002-05, Vol.39 (9), p.1436-1442
• Main Authors: SEIDL, Karlheinz, RAMEKEN, Monika, DRÖGEMÜLLER, Axel, VATER, Margit, BRANDT, Andreas, SCHWACKE, Harald, BERGMEIER, Caroline, ZAHN, Ralf, SENGES, Jochen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Anticoagulants; Anticoagulants - therapeutic use; Atrial Fibrillation - complications; Atrial Fibrillation - diagnostic imaging; Atrial Fibrillation - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood clots; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular system; Confidence intervals; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Electric Countershock - adverse effects; Electric Countershock - methods; Female; Heart; Heart Atria - diagnostic imaging; Humans; International Normalized Ratio; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Patients; Prospective Studies; Studies; Thromboembolism - diagnostic imaging; Thromboembolism - etiology; Thromboembolism - prevention & control; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Warfarin - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/S0735-1097(02)01785-0

The primary objective was to evaluate the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided cardioversion to prevent thromboembolic complications in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and effective anticoagulation (International Normalized Ratio of 2 or 3) at least three weeks before cardioversion. Transesophageal echocardiography has been proposed as a method of screening patients for left atrial thrombi before direct-current cardioversion of AF. The usefulness of TEE as a screening tool has always been evaluated in patients without long-term anticoagulation before cardioversion. This prospective, single-center, observational study, performed on an intention-to-cardiovert basis, comprised 1,076 consecutive, unselected patients with AF. The initial two years were designed to be the control phase, during which the conventional approach was used. After that, cardioversion guided by TEE was performed in consecutive patients. The prevalence of left atrial thrombi was 7.7% in patients with persistent AF and effective anticoagulation. During the first four weeks after electrical cardioversion, six thromboembolic complications were observed in patients in whom the TEE-guided approach was employed (6 [0.8%] of 719 patients), compared with three thromboembolic complications in patients in whom the conventional approach was used (3 [0.8%] of 357 patients). None of the patients in whom electrical cardioversion was not performed experienced an embolic event. There were no differences in the rate of embolic events between the two treatment groups. In patients with AF and effective anticoagulation, TEE-guided electrical cardioversion does not reduce the embolic risk. However, TEE revealed left atrial thrombi in 7.7% of patients with AF and effective anticoagulation, before direct-current cardioversion.