Ján Murín
Pharmacologic cardioversion is a frequent doctor’s therapeutic approach to atrial fibrillation (AF) in a routine clinical practice. It provides either adjustment of arrhythmia to the sinus rhythm or it contributes to the control or to the suppression of disease symptoms (usually palpitations, dyspnoea, fatigue, anxiety). In this treatment we use reliable antiarrhythmic drugs which frequently are not efficacious or for effect of which it is necessary to wait long time (hours or days). Nowadays clinical practice requires the advent of newer antiarrthytmics – especially if they are quick-acting but also safe and they act on fibrillation of the atria and do not act (negatively) on the electric activity of chambers. Vernakalant belongs to such “arterial-selective” antiarrthytmics. It is administered intravenously and it got the approval for use in the EU. The article presents its pharmacologic characteristics, its efficacy and safety (according to available studies).