Table I.
Characteristics of Clinical Cases
| Characteristic | Conventional Ablation (n=71) |
FIRM-Guided Ablation (n=36) |
P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AF Presentation | 0.12 | |||
| Paroxysmal | 24 (34%) | 7 (19%) | ||
| Persistent | 47 (66%) | 29 (81%) | ||
| Age (years) | 61±8 | 63±9 | 0.34 | |
| Gender (Male/Female) | 68 / 3 | 34 / 2 | 1.00 | |
| Non-white race | 9 (13%) | 6 (17%) | 0.57 | |
| History of AF (months) | 45 (18–79) | 52 (38–110) | 0.04 | |
| Left Atrial diameter (mm) | 43±6 | 48±7 | 0.001 | |
| LVEF (%) | 55±12 | 53±15 | 0.59 | |
| CHADS2 score | ||||
| 0 or 1 | 38 (54%) | 13 (36%) | 0.09 | |
| 2 or more | 33 (46%) | 23 (64%) | ||
| NYHA Class | 0.47 | |||
| 0–I | 61 (86%) | 29 (81%) | ||
| II–III | 10 (14%) | 7 (19%) | ||
| Comorbid Conditions | ||||
| Hypertension | 50 (70%) | 31 (86%) | 0.07 | |
| Diabetes | 22 (31%) | 12 (33%) | 0.81 | |
| Prior Stroke/TIA | 12 (17%) | 6 (17%) | 0.95 | |
| Coronary Disease | 20 (28%) | 18 (50%) | 0.03 | |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 48 (68%) | 30 (86%) | 0.05 | |
| Prior Conventional Ablation | 18 (25%) | 15 (42%) | 0.08 | |
| Previously Failed >1 Anti-Arrhythmic Drug | 16 (23%) | 16 (44%) | <0.05 | |
| Class I | 16 (23%) | 9 (25%) | 0.78 | |
| Sotalol | 30 (42%) | 17 (47%) | 0.63 | |
| Dofetilide | 9 (13%) | 8 (22%) | 0.20 | |
| Amiodarone | 27 (38%) | 22 (61%) | 0.02 | |
| Days since amiodarone discontinued | 150 (60–365) | 365 (69–730) | 0.08 | |
| Concomitant Drug Therapy | ||||
| ACEI/ARB | 45 (63%) | 21 (58%) | 0.61 | |
| Beta Adrenoceptor Antagonists | 48 (68%) | 24 (67%) | 0.92 | |
| Calcium Channel Blockers | 21 (30%) | 11 (31%) | 0.92 | |
| Statins | 42 (59%) | 19 (53%) | 0.53 | |
Values are number (%), mean±SD, or median (interquartile range).