Official Title

Rate Control Versus Rhythm Control For Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation
  • Phase

    Phase 3
  • Study Type

    Interventional
  • Intervention/Treatment

    amiodarone ...
  • Study Participants

    523
The purpose of this study is to compare the therapeutic strategies of rate control versus rhythm control in cardiac surgery patients who develop in-hospital postoperative atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (AF). In patients who develop AF during hospitalization after cardiac surgery, the hypothesis is that a strategy of rhythm control will reduce days in hospital within 60 days of the occurrence of AF compared to a strategy of rate control.
The purpose of the research is to compare two strategies for treating atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, both of which are referred to as AF, after cardiac surgery. AF is the most common complication after cardiac surgery. AF is when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) experience disorganized electrical activity which causes the heart beat to be irregular. The two treatment strategies to be used in this study are called rhythm control and rate control. The rhythm control strategy will attempt to bring the heart beat back to a regular rhythm using treatments known and approved to control heart rhythm. The rate control strategy will attempt to bring the heart rate to less than 100 beats per minute at rest using medications known and recommended to control heart rate. Both strategies are commonly used to treat AF. All of the medications that will be used in this study are the standard of care for use in patients experiencing AF. This research seeks to determine whether rhythm control is better than rate control in patients with AF after cardiac surgery.
Study Started
May 31
2014
Primary Completion
Sep 30
2015
Study Completion
Sep 30
2015
Results Posted
Jan 18
2017
Estimate
Last Update
Mar 15
2019

Drug Amiodarone

Amiodarone Initial Dose Oral: 400 mg po TID for 3 days is recommended For patients incapable of taking oral: 150 mg IV bolus over 10 min, then 1 mg/min over 6 hours followed by 0.5 mg/min over 18 hours Maintenance Dose Oral: at least 200 mg/day to be continued until 60 days after randomization If drug cannot be given orally or via NG tube: 0.5 mg/min administered through central line (e.g., PICC) until oral dosing is started

  • Other names: Cordarone

Procedure DC-cardioversion

DC-Cardioversion - frequency and duration determined by medical professional as medically needed

  • Other names: Direct Current Cardioversion

Drug Rate Control

Beta-blocker and/or Calcium channel blockers and/or Digoxin - Dose, frequency and duration determined by medical professional as medically needed

  • Other names: Beta-blocker, Calcium channel blockers, Digoxin

Rhythm control Active Comparator

Rhythm Control in post-operative AF Amiodarone and/or DC-cardioversion Amiodarone Initial Dose Oral: 400 mg po TID for 3 days is recommended For patients incapable of taking oral: 150 mg IV bolus over 10 min, then 1 mg/min over 6 hours followed by 0.5 mg/min over 18 hours Maintenance Dose Oral: at least 200 mg/day to be continued until 60 days after randomization If drug cannot be given orally or via NG tube: 0.5 mg/min administered through central line (e.g., PICC) until oral dosing is started DC-Cardioversion - frequency and duration determined by medical professional as medically needed

Rate control Active Comparator

Rate Control in post-operative AF Beta-blocker and/or Calcium channel blockers and/or Digoxin Dose, frequency and duration determined by medical professional as medically needed

Criteria

Enrollment Inclusion Criteria:

Age > 18 years
Undergoing heart surgery for coronary artery bypass (on-pump or off-pump CABG) and/or valve repair or replacement (excluding mechanical valves), including re-operations
Hemodynamically stable

Randomization Inclusion Criteria

AF that persists for > 60 minutes or recurrent (more than one) episodes of AF up to 7 days after surgery during the index hospitalization.

Exclusion Criteria:

LVAD insertion or heart transplantation
Maze procedure
TAVR
History of or planned mechanical valve replacement
Correction of complex congenital cardiac defect (excluding bicuspid aortic valve, atrial septal defect or PFO)
History of AF or AFL
History of AF or AFL ablation
Contraindications to warfarin or amiodarone
Need for long-term anticoagulation
Concurrent participation in an interventional (drug or device) trial

Summary

Rate Control

Rhythm Control

All Events

Event Type Organ System Event Term Rate Control Rhythm Control

Total Number of Days in Hospital

The total number of days in hospital for any hospitalization that occurs within 60 days of randomization to AF treatment strategy.

Rate Control

5.1
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 3.0 to 7.4

Rhythm Control

5.0
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 3.2 to 7.5

Time to Conversion to Sustained, Stable Non-AF Rhythm

Rate Control

1.85
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 0.46 to 4.81

Rhythm Control

0.95
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 0.27 to 3.21

Heart Rhythm Comparison

Compare heart rhythm (number of patients in sustained, stable non-AF rhythm) between treatment arms at hospital discharge

Rate Control

231.0
participants

Rhythm Control

244.0
participants

Heart Rhythm Comparison

Compare heart rhythm (patients in sustained, stable non-AF rhythm) between treatment arms at 30 days after randomization

Rate Control

220.0
participants

Rhythm Control

223.0
participants

Heart Rhythm Comparison

Compare heart rhythm (number of patients in sustained, stable non-AF rhythm) between treatment arms at 60 days after randomization

Rate Control

220.0
participants

Rhythm Control

231.0
participants

Length of Stay (Index Hospitalization)

Overall length of stay for the index hospitalization

Rate Control

4.3
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 2.9 to 6.6

Rhythm Control

4.3
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 3.0 to 7.0

Length of Stay (Rehospitalization, Including ED Visits)

Compare length of stay between groups for any cause and AF-related hospitalizations, including ED visits

Rate Control

2.2
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 0.6 to 5.0

Rhythm Control

2.1
days (Median)
Inter-Quartile Range: 1.0 to 4.7

Outpatient Interventions

Compare frequency of outpatient visits between groups for any cause and AF-related causes

Rate Control

5.0
hospital stays < 24 hours

Rhythm Control

4.0
hospital stays < 24 hours

AF- or Treatment-related Events

Outcome Measure Data Not Reported

Cost (Hospital)

Compare cost of index hospitalization and cost of rehospitalizations (including ED visits) between groups

Outcome Measure Data Not Reported

Total

523
Participants

Age, Continuous

68.8
years (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 9.1

Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)

Race (NIH/OMB)

Region of Enrollment

Sex: Female, Male

Overall Study

Rate Control

Rhythm Control

Drop/Withdrawal Reasons

Rate Control

Rhythm Control