P-Wave Dispersion in Prediction of Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm After an Electrical Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation in Dogs

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the diagnostic accuracy of P-wave dispersion in predicting recurrence of atrial fibrillation in dogs with sinus rhythm restoration after external cardioversion. The study was performed on 15 dogs, which underwent electrical external cardioversion after atrial fibrillation. Nine-lead surface electrocardiogram of each dog was recorded 1 min after the cardioversion process to measure the P-wave duration. Dogs with recurrent atrial fibrillation had significantly higher P-wave dispersion compared to dogs that had a sinus rhythm lasting more than 3 months (9.26 ±2.01 ms vs 20.9 ±2.18 ms, P=0.001). This study suggests that P-wave dispersion analysis in dogs after a successful external electrical cardioversion has diagnostic accuracy to predict the recurrence of atrial fibrillation.