Digoxin and Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: MICHAEL A. FRASCA
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1987)

Letters and Corrections1 September 1987Digoxin and Atrial FibrillationMICHAEL A. FRASCA, M.D.MICHAEL A. FRASCA, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-107-2-422 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: I very much enjoyed reading the recent article on the use of digoxin for converting recent-onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm (1). The authors addressed an important problem with a well-planned clinical trial.Unfortunately, the authors do not discuss the possibility of type II error in their work. Even though the digoxin dosage and duration of treatment seem to have been adequate, there may not have been enough patients in the study. After an appropriate table in an epidemiology textbook was consulted (2), it was discovered that to show that digoxin causes a 25% reduction...References1. FALK R, KNOWLTON A, BERNARD S, GOTLIEB N, and BATTINELLI N. Digoxin for converting recent-onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. Ann Intern Med. 1987;106:503-6. LinkGoogle Scholar2. SACKETT D, HAYNES R, and TUGWELL P. Clinical Epidemiology: A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine. Toronto: Little, Brown and Company; 1985:185-8. Google Scholar3. FREIMAN J, CHALMERS T, SMITH H, and KEUBLER R. The importance of beta, the type II error and sample size in the design and interpretation of the randomized control trial: survey of 71 "negative" trials. N Engl J Med. 1978;299:690-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar1. FALK R, KNOWLTON A, BERNARD S, GOTLIEB N, and BATTINELLI N. Digoxin for converting recent-onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. Ann Intern Med. 1987;106:503-6. LinkGoogle Scholar2. SIMON R. Confidence intervals for reporting results of clinical trials. Ann Intern Med. 1986;105:429-35. LinkGoogle Scholar3. FREIMAN J, CHALMERS T, SMITH H, and KEUBLER R. The importance of beta, the type II error and sample size in the design and interpretation of the randomized control trial: survey of 71 "negative" trials. N Engl J Med. 1978;299:690-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. COHEN J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: Academic Press; 1977:194. Google Scholar1. FALK R, KNOWLTON A, BERNARD S, GOTLIEB N, and BATTINELLI N. Digoxin for converting recent-onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. Ann Intern Med. 1987;106:503-6. LinkGoogle Scholar2. COUMEL P. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. In: KULBERTUS HE, OLSON SB, SCHLEPPER M. Atrial fibrillation. Mölndal, Sweden: tässle; 1982:158-76. Google Scholar3. STEINBECK G, DOLIWA R, and BACH P. Cardiac glycosides for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation? [Abstract]. Circulation. 1986;74(suppl 2):II-100. Google Scholar4. GRANDE P, SONNE B, and PEDERSEN A. A controlled study of digoxin and quinidine in patients DC reverted from atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm [Abstract]. Circulation. 1986;74(Suppl 2):II-101. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: MICHAEL A. FRASCA, M.D. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 1 September 1987Volume 107, Issue 3 Page: 422-423 Keywords Atrial fibrillation Clinical trials Epidemiology ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 September 1987 PDF downloadLoading ...