Surface ECG f Wave Analysis of Dofetilide Drug Effect in the Atrium.

Introduction: The electrocardiogram (ECG) fibrillatory (f) wave characteristics in atrial fibrillation (AF) could provide important information regarding the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

Methods And Results: To measure the effects of dofetilide on the surface ECG f wave characteristics in patients with persistent AF, baseline and post-drug (2 hours after first dose and after multiple doses) ECGs in 31 patients with persistent AF admitted for dofetilide loading were evaluated. A QRST template subtraction algorithm was used to yield an atrial ECG.