SR | Oral Class I and III antiarrhythmic drugs for maintaining sinus rhythm after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
20 Mar, 2023 | 13:41h | UTCSummary: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of Class I and III antiarrhythmic drugs for maintaining sinus rhythm after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). The review included nine randomized controlled trials involving 3,269 participants.
The analysis found that Class I and/or III antiarrhythmic drugs may reduce the recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias at 0 to 3 months and likely reduce recurrence at > 3 to 6 months. However, beyond six months, the evidence is uncertain, and the benefit of antiarrhythmic drugs may not persist. Additionally, the use of these drugs post-ablation likely reduces hospitalizations for atrial tachyarrhythmias by approximately 57% at 0 to 3 months.
The use of Class I and/or III antiarrhythmic drugs did not increase the risk of thromboembolic events, myocardial infarction, all-cause mortality, or the need for repeat ablation.