Impact of electrophysiological and pharmacological noninducibility following pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Two methods for testing inducibility of atrial fibrillation (AF)—atrial pacing and isoproterenol infusion—have been proposed to determine the endpoint of catheter ablation. However, the utility of the combination for testing electrophysiological inducibility (EPI) and pharmacological inducibility (PHI) is unclear. Methods: After pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), inducibility of atrial tachyarrhythmia was assessed with the dual methods in 291 consecutive patients with AF (65% paroxysmal) undergoing initial catheter ablation. Results: The incidence of EPI was significantly higher in patients with persistent AF than paroxysmal AF (32.0% vs 11.7%, respectively, P