No other antiarrhythmic showed a significant effect on mortality compared with controls .
Class IA , IC , and III drugs are effective in maintaining sinus rhythm but increase adverse effects , and class IA drugs may increase mortality
BACKGROUND A variety of antiarrhythmic drugs have been used to prevent recurrence of atrial fibrillation after conversion to sinus rhythm .
We performed a systematic review to determine the effect of long-term treatment with those drugs on death , embolisms , adverse effects , and atrial fibrillation recurrence .
Quinidine in maintenance of sinus rhythm after electroconversion of chronic atrial fibrillation. A controlled clinical study.
One hundred patients were subjected to a controlled study of the effectiveness of quinidine treatment upon the maintenance of sinus rhythm after electroconversion .  The quinidine series was treated with a long-acting preparation of quinidine sulphate , which was given in a dosage to achieve serum levels between 4 and 6 mg/l . The control series received no quinidine . The maintenance rate did not differ significantly in the two series during the first three months , but for the remaining observation time until I2 months a sigmficant difference in favour of quinidine was present . Identical results were found in a cross-over experiment , in which 24 patients served as their own controls . Further analysis broughtforward that quinidine was effective only if the atrial fibrillation had lasted for less than one year before electroconversion . Complications due to
No other antiarrhythmic showed a significant effect on mortality compared with controls .
Class IA , IC , and III drugs are effective in maintaining sinus rhythm but increase adverse effects , and class IA drugs may increase mortality
BACKGROUND A variety of antiarrhythmic drugs have been used to prevent recurrence of atrial fibrillation after conversion to sinus rhythm .
We performed a systematic review to determine the effect of long-term treatment with those drugs on death , embolisms , adverse effects , and atrial fibrillation recurrence .