Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38646926›Full record

ArticleEuropace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology2024

Comparing pulsed field electroporation and radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: design and rationale of the BEAT PAROX-AF randomized clinical trial.

Nico Erhard, Eric Frison, Julien Asselineau, Besma Aouar, Serge Boveda, Hubert Cochet, Isabel Deisenhofer, Thomas Deneke, Anne Gimbert, Josef Kautzner and 10 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial ProtocolMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05159492 (Ground-Breaking Electroporation-based Intervention for PAROXysmal Atrial Fibrillation Treatment), which is not on this map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05159492 nacompletednot on this map

Ground-Breaking Electroporation-based Intervention for PAROXysmal Atrial Fibrillation Treatment (BEAT PAROX-AF)

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Hospital, BordeauxRan2021 to 2025Enrolled292ConditionsAtrial FibrillationArmsPVI using PEF, PVI using CFRF
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Incidence and predictors of AF recurrence during long-term follow-up of patients after PF ablation for atrial fibrillation.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Controversy: pulsed field ablation is the standard technique for all the candidates for atrial fibrillation ablation.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2025
    Review
  6. Repeat procedures after pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation: MANIFEST-REDO study.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2025
    Article
  7. Review
  8. Pulmonary vein isolation using pulsed field ablation vs. high-power short-duration radiofrequency ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: efficacy, safety, and long-term follow-up (PRIORI study).Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Nico ErhardDepartment of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Lazarettstraße 36, 80636 Munich, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Eric FrisonUniversity Bordeaux, INSERM, Institut Bergonié, CHU Bordeaux, CIC 1401, EUCLID/F-CRIN Clinical Trials Platform, Bordeaux, France.ORCID 0000-0001-5844-1886
Julien AsselineauUniversity Bordeaux, INSERM, Institut Bergonié, CHU Bordeaux, CIC 1401, EUCLID/F-CRIN Clinical Trials Platform, Bordeaux, France.
Besma AouarUniversity Bordeaux, INSERM, Institut Bergonié, CHU Bordeaux, CIC 1401, EUCLID/F-CRIN Clinical Trials Platform, Bordeaux, France.ORCID 0009-0007-7301-9094
Serge BovedaHeart Rhythm Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France.ORCID 0000-0002-1280-7042
Hubert CochetIHU LIRYC, University Bordeaux, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.ORCID 0000-0001-7772-5331
Isabel DeisenhoferDepartment of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Lazarettstraße 36, 80636 Munich, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5826-6846
Thomas DenekeDepartment of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center Bad Neustadt/Saale, Bad Neustadt an der Saale, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1379-1684
Anne GimbertClinical Research and Innovation Department, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Josef KautznerDepartment of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia.ORCID 0000-0002-1632-6182
Sebastien KnechtDepartment of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Hospital, Bruges, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-4500-0146
Philippe MauryDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospital Rangueil, Toulouse, France.ORCID 0000-0002-4800-1841
Petr NeuzilCardiology Department, Na Homolce Hospital, Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czechia.ORCID 0000-0003-4334-8165
Marine RoussetClinical Research and Innovation Department, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.ORCID 0000-0002-3102-6866
Daniel ScherrDivision of Cardiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-5868-5493
Christopher W SchneiderDepartment of Electrophysiology, Boston Scientific Corporation, St Paul, MN, USA.
Maxime SermesantIHU LIRYC, University Bordeaux, INSERM, CRCTB, U 1045, Bordeaux, France.ORCID 0000-0002-6256-8350
Dan WichterleDepartment of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia.ORCID 0000-0002-0448-5143
Pierre JaïsIHU LIRYC, University Bordeaux, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.ORCID 0000-0002-4700-7811
BEAT-AF Study group

Funding

European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation 945125
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsUsing thermal-based energy sources [radiofrequency (RF) energy/cryo energy] for catheter ablation is considered effective and safe when performing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, treatment success remains limited and complications can occur due to the propagation of thermal energy into non-target tissues. We aim to compare pulsed field ablation (PFA) with RF ablation in terms of efficacy and safety for patients with drug-resistant paroxysmal AF. METHODS AND

resultsThe BEAT PAROX-AF trial is a European multicentre, superiority, open-label randomized clinical trial in two parallel groups. A total of 292 participants were recruited in 9 high-volume European clinical centres in 5 countries. Patients with paroxysmal AF were randomized to PFA (FARAPULSE Endocardial Ablation System©, Boston Scientific) or RF using the CLOSE protocol with contact force sensing catheter (SmartTouch© catheter and CARTO© Biosense Webster). The primary endpoint will be the 1-year recurrence of atrial arrhythmia, and the major secondary safety endpoint will be the occurrence of acute (<7 days) procedure-related serious adverse events, or pulmonary vein stenosis, or atrio-oesophageal fistula up to 12 months. Additionally, five sub-studies investigate the effect of PFA on oesophageal safety, cerebral lesions, cardiac autonomic nervous system, durability of PVI as assessed during redo ablation procedures, and atrial and ventricular function. The study began on 27 December 2021 and concluded recruitment on 17 January 2024. Results will be available in mid-2025.

conclusionThe BEAT PAROX-AF trial aims to provide critical insights into the optimal treatment approach for patients with paroxysmal AF.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationEquivalence Trials as TopicEuropeFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPulmonary VeinsRecurrenceTreatment OutcomeAtrial fibrillationCatheter ablationPulmonary vein isolationPulsed field ablationRadiofrequency currentRandomized trial

Identifiers

PMID38646926
PMCPMC11068269

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.