Vernakalant Versus Ibutilide In Recent-Onset Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is expected to affect about 30 million North Americans and Europeans by 2050. Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, with stroke being an especially important and potentially devastating complication. Many studies have investigated the efficacy of different drugs in converting atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. There are numerous randomized controlled trials that have tested the efficacy of agents against placebo and some trials that directly compared the efficacy of two or more different drugs. The class III antiarrhythmic drug Ibutilde is approved for the acute termination of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter of recent onset and has been shown to be superior to sotalol and equivalent to flecainide in this indication. Recently, the relatively atrial selective antiarrhythmic agent vernakalant has been approved by the European Commission for the rapid conversion of recent onset AF to sinus rhythm in adults. The investigators hypothesize that the period of time needed for cardioversion to sinus rhythm and the efficacy of cardioversion within 90 minutes is different between vernakalant and ibutilide in patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation.


Study Type: Interventional
Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Vernakalant Versus Ibutilide In Recent-Onset Atrial Fibrillation
Enrollment: 101
Study Start Date: October 2011
Study Completion Date: May 2015
Primary Completion Date: May 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms:
- Active Comparator: Vernakalant
- Active Comparator: Ibutilide


Related journal: Vernakalant is superior to ibutilide for achieving sinus rhythm in patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation: a randomized controlled trial at the emergency department.