warfarin and Tachycardia--Supraventricular

To analyse the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and thromboembolism in a randomised comparison of rate adaptive single chamber atrial pacing (AAIR) and dual chamber pacing (DDDR) in patients with sick sinus syndrome and normal atrioventricular (AV) conduction, in which left atrial dilatation and decreased left ventricular fractional shortening had been observed in the DDDR group.. 177 consecutive patients with sick sinus syndrome (mean (SD) age 74 (9) years, 104 women) were randomly assigned to treatment with one of three pacemakers: AAIR (n = 54), DDDR with a short rate adaptive AV delay (n = 60) (DDDR-s); or DDDR with a fixed long AV delay (n = 63) (DDDR-l). Analysis was intention to treat.. Mean follow up was 2.9 (1.1) years. AF at one or more ambulatory visits was significantly less common in the AAIR group (4 (7.4%) v 14 (23.3%) in the DDDR-s group v 11 (17.5%) in the DDDR-l group; p = 0.03, log rank test). The risk of developing AF in the AAIR group compared with the DDDR-s group was significantly decreased after adjustment for brady-tachy syndrome in a Cox regression analysis (relative risk 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09 to 0.83, p = 0.02). The benefit of AAIR was highest among patients with brady-tachy syndrome. Brady-tachy syndrome and a thromboembolic event before pacemaker implantation were independent predictors of thromboembolism during follow up (relative risk 7.5, 95% CI 1.6 to 36.2, p = 0.01, and relative risk 4.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 17.9, p = 0.02, respectively).. During a mean follow up of 2.9 years AAIR was associated with significantly less AF. The beneficial effect of AAIR was still significant after adjustment for brady-tachy syndrome. Brady-tachy syndrome was associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anticoagulants; Atrial Fibrillation; Bradycardia; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Chronic Disease; Confidence Intervals; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Sick Sinus Syndrome; Syndrome; Tachycardia, Supraventricular; Telemetry; Thromboembolism; Warfarin

Some patients experience a left atrial thrombus (LAT) in spite of taking warfarin. We aimed to clarify the characteristics of patients with LAT during warfarin administration and investigated whether the CHADS2 or CHA2DS2-VASc scores are useful predictors of LAT. We studied 230 patients (169 males, age 65 ± 10 years) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) prior to cardioversion or catheter ablation of atrial tachyarrhythmias between 2008 and 2012. All patients were taking oral warfarin. LAT was detected in 19 patients (8.3%) using TEE. LAT was significantly associated with the presence of hypertension (P = 0.0035), prior congestive heart failure (P < 0.0001), structural heart disease (P = 0.0012), persistent arrhythmias (P < 0.0001), the absence of SR during TEE (P = 0.0070), left ventricular ejection fraction (P < 0.0001), left atrial diameter (P = 0.0015), left ventricular dimension during end diastole (P = 0.0215), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH; P < 0.0001), and the E/e' ratio (P = 0.0074). A multivariate analysis showed that LVH (P = 0.0065, OR 5.591, 95% CI 1.618–19.316) and persistent arrhythmia (P = 0.0364, OR 12.121, 95% CI 1.171–125.451) were independently associated with LAT. Moreover, the mean CHADS2 (2.3 ± 0.9 vs. 1.4 ± 1.2) and CHA2DS2-VASc scores (3.8 ± 1.2 vs. 2.8 ± 1.7) were higher in the patients with than without LAT. However, a multivariate analysis showed that the CHADS2/CHA2DS2-VASc scores did not associate with LAT. LVH and persistent arrhythmia may be useful for predicting LAT in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Aged; Anticoagulants; Chi-Square Distribution; Comorbidity; Decision Support Techniques; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Female; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Japan; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Predictive Value of Tests; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Tachycardia, Supraventricular; Thrombosis; Treatment Outcome; Warfarin

Topics: Aged; Amiodarone; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Anticoagulants; Drug Synergism; Humans; International Normalized Ratio; Male; Prothrombin Time; Tachycardia, Supraventricular; Thyrotoxicosis; Thyroxine; Warfarin

A case is presented of a mechanical cardiac valve dysfunction occurring in a 19-year-old Nigerian 7 years after valve surgery and presenting with cardiac failure, supraventricular tachycardia and later, cardiogenic shock but initially masquerading as generalised bleeding probably from Warfarin-drug interaction. The problem of management of an artificial heart valve in our setting is discussed.

Topics: Adult; Antimalarials; Drug Combinations; Drug Interactions; Fatal Outcome; Heart Failure; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Humans; Male; Nigeria; Prosthesis Failure; Pyrimethamine; Shock, Hemorrhagic; Sulfadoxine; Tachycardia, Supraventricular; Warfarin