Electro-pulse therapy of atrial fibrillation

Among the numerous cardiac arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation occupies a special place. Its significant prevalence, the possibility of serious hemodynamic disorders, the frequency of thromboembolic complications require the search for more effective therapeutic agents. Drug treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation with potassium chloride, novocainamide, cocarboxylase, digitalis and even quinidine is not always effective. In 1959 A. A. Vishnevsky, B. M. Zuckerman and S. I. Smelovsky applied a fundamentally new method of treating atrial fibrillation, based on the use of a powerful capacitor discharge. Rapidly accumulated clinical experience [1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 et al.] testifies to the high efficiency of the new method of treatment of atrial fibrillation. The sinus rhythm was restored in 80-90%. Most of the work on the use of electropulse therapy has been carried out in surgical clinics, and therefore its effectiveness in patients with atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis, myocardial infarction, thyrotoxicosis, etc. remains insufficiently studied.