Cerebral Blood Flow before and after Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation

• Published in: Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 422 - 425
• Main Authors: Petersen, Palle, Kastrup, Jens, Videbæk, Regitze, Boysen, Gudrun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.1989; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Adult; Atrial Fibrillation - physiopathology; Atrial Fibrillation - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiac Output; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Electric Countershock; Female; Heart; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pulmonary Gas Exchange; Cerebral blood flow; Atrial fibrillation; Human; Regional blood flow; Brain; Arrhythmia; Instrumentation therapy; Cardiovascular disease; Cardioversion; Exploration; Hemodynamics; Excitability disorder
• ISSN: 0271-678X; 1559-7016
• DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.1989.62

In nine patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) of <3 months' duration, CBF was measured the day before and after and again 30 days after electrical cardioversion therapy to sinus rhythm. The day before cardioversion therapy, median CBF (expressed as initial slope index 1, ml/100 g · min−1) was 35.8 and the day after it was 37.1. After 30 days in sinus rhythm, CBF was 39.4 (NS), although the end-tidal Pco2 values were lower than the pretreatment values. After correction for changes in end-tidal Pco2, the median CBF had increased significantly from 35.8 to 40.3 on day 1 and to 46.7 on day 30. The reduced CBF during AF could be a contributing factor in the development of cerebrovascular complications in patients with AF.