Table 2.
Drug changes during 12week treatment pathway
| AVATAR arm | Anti-arrhythmic arm | Conventional arm | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At randomization (n = 110) | At week 12 discharge (n = 105) | At randomization (n = 103) | At week 12 discharge (n = 92) | At randomization (n = 108) | At week 12 discharge (n = 103) | ||
| Number of agents used for symptom control | None, n (%) | 24 (21.8) | 58 (55.2) | 20 (19.4) | 7 (7.6) | 18 (16.7) | 57 (55.3) |
| Single agent, n (%) | 68 (61.8) | 40 (38.1) | 71 (68.9) | 49 (53.3) | 73 (67.6) | 39 (37.8) | |
| Two agents, n (%) | 18 (16.4) | 6 (5.7) | 12 (11.7) | 36 (39.1) | 17 (15.7) | 7 (6.8) | |
| Three agents, n(%) | — | 1 (1.0) | — | — | — | — | |
| Number of Class I/III agents | None, n (%) | 68 (61.8) | 94 (89.5) | 65 (63.1) | 18 (19.6) | 69 (63.9) | 91 (88.3) |
| Single agent, n (%) | 42 (38.2) | 11 (10.5) | 38 (36.9) | 74 (80.4) | 39 (36.1) | 12 (11.8) | |
| All beta-blockers, n (%) | 61 (55.4) | 37 (35.2) | 54 (52.4) | 44 (47.8) | 65 (60.1) | 35 (34.0) | |
| All calcium channel blockers n (%) | 8 (7.3) | 7 (6.6) | 7 (6.8) | 6 (6.5) | 9 (8.3) | 6 (5.8) | |
| All Class I/III anti-arrhythmicsa, n (%) | 34 (30.9) | 11 (10.5) | 34 (33.0) | 70 (76.1) | 32 (29.6) | 12 (11.7) | |
| Beta blockersa | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n(%) | Patients on drug at start, n,(%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atenolol | 2 (1.8) | −43 | 1 (1.0) | 3 (2.9) | −34 | 2 (2.2) | 1 (0.9) | +2 | 1 (1.0) |
| Bisoprolol | 57 (51.8) | −160 | 36 (34.3) | 47 (45.6) | −12 | 40 (43.5) | 62 (57.4) | −95 | 34 (33.0) |
| Metoprolol | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (2.9) | −134 | 1 (1.1) | 1 (0.9) | −139 | 0 |
| Nebivolol | 2 (1.8) | −4 | 0 | 1 (1.0) | 0 | 1 (1.1) | 1 (0.9) | −1 | 0 |
| Calcium channel blockersa | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) |
| Diltiazem | 5 (4.5) | +434 | 6 (5.7) | 5 (4.9) | +314 | 6 (6.5) | 7 (6.5) | −61 | 6 (5.8) |
| Verapamil | 3 (2.7) | −540 | 1 (1.0) | 2 (1.9) | −466 | 0 | 2 (1.9) | −444 | 0 |
| Class I/III anti-arrhythmicsa | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) | Patients on drug at start, n (%) | Change in total daily drug dose for cohort | Patients on drug at 12 weeks, n (%) |
| Amiodarone | 4 (3.6) | −636 | 0 | 1 (1.0) | +1110 | 4 (4.3) | 2 (1.9) | −185 | 0 |
| Dronedarone | 1 (0.9) | −727 | 0 | 1 (1.0) | +5980 | 8 (8.7) | 1 (0.9) | −741 | 0 |
| Flecainide | 21 (19.1) | −1913 | 7 (6.7) | 21 (20.4) | +3856 | 38 (41.3) | 18 (16.7) | −1289 | 9 (8.7) |
| Propafenone | 1 (0.9) | +578 | 2 (1.9) | 1 (1.0) | +867 | 3 (3.3) | 1 (0.9) | −556 | 0 |
| Sotalol | 7 (6.4) | −611 | 2 (1.9) | 10 (9.7) | +1327 | 17 (18.5) | 10 (9.3) | −863 | 3 (2.9) |
AVATAR, Ablation Versus Anti-arrhythmic Therapy for Reducing All Hospital Episodes from Recurrent.
Drugs taken as pill-in-the-pocket are not included as regular medications.