Characteristics of patients with atrial flutter and spontaneous 1:1
atrioventricular conduction with and without anti-arrhythmic drug
treatment
Abstract
Background: Atrial flutter (AFL) is a large re-entrant circuit located
in the right atrium. Anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) can provoke AFL with
1:1 atrioventricular conduction (AVC) to cause hemodynamic collapse. We
elucidated the characteristics of patients with AFL exhibiting
spontaneous 1:1 AVC. Methods: Fifteen patients (1:1 AFL group; 11 males,
52.4±13.7 years old) who documented AFL with 1:1 AVC were enrolled and
compared to 77 patients without 1:1 AVC (Control group; 71 males,
68.1±10.9 years old). Results: The use of AADs was greater in the 1:1
AFL group than in the control group (60.0 vs. 14.3%, p <
0.001). AFL cycle length during maximum AVC was significantly longer in
the 1:1 AFL group than in the control group (274.7 ± 37.0 vs. 220.4 ±
26.2 msec, p < 0.001). Among 1:1 AVC group, 9 patients had
AADs and AFL cycle length was significantly longer during 1:1 AVC as
compared with 2:1 AVC documented the other day (284.4 ± 41.3 vs. 233.3 ±
26.0 msec, p <0.001), suggesting enhancement effect of the
AADs during 1:1 AVC. Remaining 6 patients who did not take AADs, 2
patients showed enlargement of the tricuspid annulus and 3 patients
developed 1:1 AVC during exercise. Conclusions: In addition to the
enhancement of AAD effect, prolonged AFL cycle length associated with
enlargement of the tricuspid annulus and shortened refractory period of
the AV node might increase the risk of 1:1 AVC during AFL. Keywords:
atrial flutter, atrial flutter cycle length, tricuspid annulus.
Atrioventricular node, atrioventricular conduction, anti-arrhythmic drug