Table 1.
Patients Characteristics.
| Successful Load (n = 193) | Unsuccessful Load (n = 20) | Total (N = 213) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 65.9 ± 10.6 | 69.2 ± 8.5 | 66.2 ± 10.5 |
| Gender (male) | 128 (66.3%) | 10 (50%) | 138 (64.8%) |
| Ethnicity | |||
| • Hispanic/Latino | 7 (3.6%) | 1 (5%) | 8 (3.8%) |
| • Non-Hispanic/Latino | 182 (94.3%) | 19 (95%) | 201 (94.4%) |
| • Unknown | 1 (0.5%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.5%) |
| Race | |||
| • Caucasian | 187 (96.9%) | 19 (95%) | 206 (96.7%) |
| • African American or black | 3 (1.6%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (1.4%) |
| • Asian | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | 1 (0.5%) |
| • Unknown/not reported | 3 (1.6%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (1.4%) |
| Medications on admission | |||
| • β-Blocker | 105 (54.4%) | 5 (25%) | 110 (51.6%) |
| • Calcium channel blocker | 32 (16.6%) | 1 (5%) | 33 (15.5%) |
| • Diuretic | 43 (22.3%) | 6 (30%) | 49 (23.0%) |
| Medical history | |||
| • Atrial fibrillation | 170 (88.1%) | 15 (75%) | 185 (86.9%) |
| • Ventricular tachycardia | 30 (15.5%) | 3 (15%) | 33 (15.5%) |
| • Heart failure | 30 (15.5%) | 4 (20%) | 34 (16.0%) |
| • Hypertension | 96 (49.7%) | 16 (80%) | 112 (52.6%) |
| • Type II diabetes mellitus | 18 (9.3%) | 1 (5%) | 19 (8.9%) |
| • Coronary artery disease | 46 (23.8%) | 4 (20%) | 50 (23.5%) |
| • Pacemaker | 18 (9.3%) | 1 (5%) | 19 (8.9%) |
| • Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator | 25 (13.0%) | 1 (5%) | 26 (12.2%) |
| Indication for sotalol loading: atrial fibrillation | 166 (87.8%) | 15 (83.3%) | 181 (87.4%) |
| Most recent LV EF assessment | |||
| • LV EF > 35% | 145 (89.0%) | 14 (87.5%) | 159 (88.8%) |
| • LV EF ≤ 35% | 18 (11.0%) | 2 (12.5%) | 20 (11.2%) |
| Previously on sotalol | 14 (7.3%) | 2 (10%) | 16 (7.6%) |
| Admission ECG | |||
| • Sinus rhythm or atrial paced | 92 (49.7%) | 7 (36.8%) | 99 (48.5%) |
| • HR (mm) | 84.5 ± 23.7 | 85.1 ± 24.5 | 84.6 ± 23.7 |
| • PR (mm) | 182.1 ± 40.2 | 211.9 ± 74.7 | 184.6 ± 44.4 |
| • QRS (mm) | 105.6 ± 27.8 | 108.6 ± 35.4 | 105.8 ± 28.5 |
| • QTc (Fridericia) | 451.9 ± 37.7 | 468.9 ± 40.4 | 466.2 ± 50.9 |
| Pertinent laboratory data | |||
| • Potassium | 4.3 ± 0.4 | 4.1 ± 0.4 | 4.3 ± 0.4 |
| • Magnesium | 1.9 ± 0.2 | 2.0 ± 0.2 | 2.0 ± 0.2 |
| • Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.97 ± 0.27 | 0.97 ± 0.17 | 0.97 ± 0.26 |
| Sotalol loading | |||
| • Starting dose | |||
| • 40 mg | 6 (3.1%) | 2 (10%) | 8 (3.8%) |
| • 80 mg | 120 (62.2%) | 14 (70%) | 134 (62.9%) |
| • 120 mg | 65 (33.7%) | 4 (20%) | 69 (32.4%) |
| • 160 mg | 2 (1.0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (0.9%) |
| • Median Number of doses received (IQR) | 5 (5–6) | 4 (3.5–5) | 5 (5–6) |
| • No dose adjustment (after 5–6 doses) | 111 (57.3%) | 2 (0%) | 113 (53.1%) |
| • Cardioverted electrically | 83 (43.0%) | 5 (25%) | 88 (41.3%) |
| • Spontaneously converted | 17 (9.1%) | 10 (50%) | 27 (12.7%) |
| • Discharged off sotalol | 0 (0%) | 20 (100%) | 20 (9.4%) |
Abbreviations: ECG, electrocardiogram; HR, heart rate; IQR, interquartile range; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction.