Conscious Sedation Versus General Anesthesia for Pulsed Field Ablation in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Protocol-specified antitussive pretreatment is followed by local anesthesia, analgesia, and conscious sedation. Before femoral venous puncture, intravenous tropisetron hydrochloride 5 mg, dexamethasone 5 mg, lidocaine 100 mg over 10 minutes, fentanyl 50 micrograms, midazolam 2 mg, and atropine 1 mg are given. After transseptal puncture, fentanyl 50-100 micrograms is given intravenously, followed by 0.04 micrograms/kg/min infusion. Additional midazolam or fentanyl may be given according to vital signs and clinical tolerance. Conversion to general anesthesia is permitted for persistent severe coughing, pain, anxiety, or agitation interfering with catheter positioning or energy delivery; persistent respiratory depression or refractory hypoxemia; uncorrectable hemodynamic instability; or inability or unwillingness to tolerate the assigned strategy.

General anesthesia will be induced, maintained, and monitored by an anesthesiologist according to routine clinical practice at each participating center. Airway management, anesthetic medications, ventilation parameters, hemodynamic management, and post-anesthesia recovery will be documented.

All participants will undergo bilateral pulmonary vein isolation using the VARIPULSE pulsed field ablation catheter under CARTO 3 electroanatomic mapping guidance. Additional ablation of the left atrial posterior wall, superior vena cava, or other atrial substrate may be performed when clinically indicated. Bidirectional pulmonary vein isolation will be evaluated at the end of the procedure. Activated clotting time will be maintained at 350 seconds or longer during left atrial ablation.

Oral antitussive pretreatment with compound methoxyphenamine capsules (Asmeton) during the 24 hours before the procedure, as specified in the protocol.

Nebulized pretreatment in combination with budesonide and lidocaine within 90 minutes before the procedure, as specified in the protocol for the local anesthesia with conscious sedation arm.

Nebulized pretreatment in combination with salbutamol and lidocaine within 90 minutes before the procedure, as specified in the protocol for the local anesthesia with conscious sedation arm.

Administered by nebulization with salbutamol and budesonide within 90 minutes before the procedure, and intravenously before femoral venous puncture, as specified in the protocol for the local anesthesia with conscious sedation arm.

For the local anesthesia with conscious sedation arm: intravenous fentanyl 50 micrograms before femoral venous puncture, followed by 50 to 100 micrograms after transseptal puncture and a continuous intravenous infusion at 0.04 micrograms/kg/min. Additional doses may be administered according to vital signs, pain, and clinical tolerance, as specified in the protocol.