Results
A total of 94 patients were included in our study, from a population of
99 patients that were initially screened. The 5 patients that were
excluded did not provide research study consent and thus were not
included. Demographic data for the study population including age,
gender, race, body mass index, and pertinent comorbidities are shown in
Table 1 . The mean age in our study population was 62.1 ±
9.8 years. The patients were predominantly male (78.7%) and Caucasian
(60.6%). Our “treatment group” was comprised of 34 patients that
received dexamethasone, and 60 patients in the control group (no
dexamethasone).
The rates of AF and atrial flutter recurrence, defined as episodes
lasting greater than 30 seconds, were not statistically different
between the two groups. A total of 13 patients (21.6%) in the control
group and 7 patients (20.6%) in the experimental group developed
recurrence within the first 3 months, a p-value of 1.00. At 3 months to
1 year, 13 patients in the control group (21.6%) and 7 patients
(20.6%) in the experimental group had developed recurrence. The rates
of direct current cardioversion (DCCV) in these groups within the first
3 months were also not significantly different (Table
2 ). Within the control group, 8 out of 60 (13.3%) patients required
DCCV within the first 3 months compared to 4 out of 34 (11.8%) patients
in the experimental group, a p-value of 1.00. Similarly, at 3 months to
1 year, there was not a significant difference in the rates of DCCV
between the two groups with 7 patients (11.7%) in the control group and
3 patients (8.8%) in the experimental group (Table 3 ).
Within the control and experimental groups 38 out of 60 patients
(63.3%) and 20 out of 34 patients (58.8%), respectively, were
prescribed an antiarrhythmic agent within 3 months of their catheter
ablation procedure. There was not a statistically significant difference
in the administration of antiarrhythmic agents between these groups with
a p-value of 0.67. At 3 months to 1 year, there was no statistically
significant difference in the administration of antiarrhythmic agents
between the control and experimental groups (Table 3 ). Rates of
antiarrhythmic drug administration in the control and experimental
groups were 35.6% (21 out of 60 patients) and 44.1% (15 out of 34
patients), respectively (p-value 0.51).