NCT05841056

Short Term Anti-aRrhythmic Therapy for Post-Operative AF in Cardiac Surgery Patients Pilot Trial

Short Term Anti-aRrhythmic Therapy for Post-Operative AF in Cardiac Surgery Patients (START-POAF) Pilot Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 400 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Population Health Research Institute · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The START-POAF pilot study is a prospective, open-label two-arm, randomized controlled trial with blinded assessment of outcomes (PROBE). This pilot study will assess Atrial Fibrillation (AF) recurrence and burden in patients with new-onset AF following cardiac surgery.

Detailed description

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common abnormal heart rhythm in the world. In patients who have cardiac surgery, new AF is found as an early complication in more than one out of every four surgeries. In the weeks and months after heart surgery, patients who have new AF take a medication called amiodarone to keep their heart in rhythm as it heals. If the heart goes back into AF, patients can have symptoms of heart racing, heart failure (fluid on the lungs) or stroke. Although amiodarone is effective, it can have side effects like dizziness, nausea and slow heart rate. It may also damage the lungs, liver and thyroid gland. Many patients are not able to complete their full prescribed course after surgery. Therefore, it is crucial that the investigators find the shortest possible length of treatment with amiodarone that will keep the heart in rhythm while minimizing the chance of side effects or organ damage. The START-POAF Pilot Randomized Trial will compare two different durations of amiodarone treatment: 1) in-hospital load only and 2) in-hospital load plus 4 weeks after loading dose. All participants will wear an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor for 4 weeks the day after they complete their loading dose. The investigators will compare the amount of AF seen on the ECG between the two groups.

Conditions

• Atrial Fibrillation New Onset

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Amiodarone Hydrochloride 200 MG	200 mg daily for 4 weeks

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-06-13
• Primary completion: 2026-06-30
• Completion: 2026-09-30
• First posted: 2023-05-03
• Last updated: 2025-08-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada