We found that the size of the left atrium , presence of cardiovascular disease , and protocol s of amiodarone administration did not influence the magnitude of effect .
Serious adverse events were infrequent .
Amiodarone is effective for converting AF to sinus rhythm in a wide range of patients .
BACKGROUND Although clinicians sometimes choose amiodarone to convert atrial fibrillation ( AF ) to sinus rhythm , no current and comprehensive systematic review has summarized its effectiveness .
OBJECTIVE To review the effectiveness of amiodarone in converting AF to sinus rhythm over a 4-week period .
A comparison of amiodarone and digoxin for treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias after cardiac surgery.
Despite the widespread use of amiodarone in non-surgical patients , its role in the management of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias after cardiac surgery is not clear . We set out to compare the relative efficacy of amiodarone and digoxin in the management of  atrial fibrillation and flutter in the early postoperative period . This prospect i ve r and omised trial comprised 30 patients , previously in sinus rhythm , who developed sustained atrial fibrillation or flutter following myocardial revascularisation , valve surgery or combined procedures .  Amiodarone was administered as an intravenous loading dose followed by a continuous infusion . Digoxin was given as an intravenous loading dose followed by oral maintenance therapy . Electrocardiographic and haemodynamic monitoring  was continued for 24 h after the commencement of treatment . There was a marked reduction in heart rate in both groups , mainly in the first 6 h , from 146 to 89 beats per minute in the amiodarone group and from 144 to 95 in the digoxin group . At the end of the 24 h , one of the 15 patients in the amiodarone group and 3 of the 15 patients in the digoxin group remained in atrial fibrillation . No patient in either group developed adverse reactions . We conclude that intravenous amiodarone therapy is safe and at least as effective as digoxin in the initial management of arrhythmias after cardiac surgery
We found that the size of the left atrium , presence of cardiovascular disease , and protocol s of amiodarone administration did not influence the magnitude of effect .
Serious adverse events were infrequent .
Amiodarone is effective for converting AF to sinus rhythm in a wide range of patients .
BACKGROUND Although clinicians sometimes choose amiodarone to convert atrial fibrillation ( AF ) to sinus rhythm , no current and comprehensive systematic review has summarized its effectiveness .
OBJECTIVE To review the effectiveness of amiodarone in converting AF to sinus rhythm over a 4-week period .