Some patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation should carry flecainide or propafenone to self treat
Article submitted by HMHB at 07:20, Fri 23 Mar 2007
Part of the BMJ's 'Change' series. This gives the following key points:
- Currently, patients without severe heart disease who have infrequent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation require hospital intervention for symptomatic episodes
- For selected patients, self treatment strategy is feasible, safe, and reduces hospital admissions and emergency department visits
- Eligible patients should not have a history of left ventricular dysfunction and should not have valvular or ischaemic heart disease, and they should have a history of infrequent symptomatic episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- They should first be treated for symptoms at a specialist hospital unit, using oral flecainide or propafenone; if successful, the drug can be carried by the patient for self treatment when symptoms occur
- Currently, patients without severe heart disease who have infrequent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation require hospital intervention for symptomatic episodes
- For selected patients, self treatment strategy is feasible, safe, and reduces hospital admissions and emergency department visits
- Eligible patients should not have a history of left ventricular dysfunction and should not have valvular or ischaemic heart disease, and they should have a history of infrequent symptomatic episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- They should first be treated for symptoms at a specialist hospital unit, using oral flecainide or propafenone; if successful, the drug can be carried by the patient for self treatment when symptoms occur
Conflict of Interests - none