Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Simple changes to electrode placement could boost heart shock success

NCT ID NCT05511389

Disease control Sponsor: McMaster University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether the position of the electrodes on the chest — front-to-back versus front-to-side — and applying manual pressure to the electrodes improve the success of electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. About 1750 adults scheduled for non-urgent cardioversion will be randomly assigned to one of the two electrode positions. Those who remain in atrial fibrillation after the first shock will then be randomly assigned to receive manual pressure or not. The goal is to see which approach restores normal heart rhythm more effectively.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
electrical cardioversion with different electrode positions and manual pressure
What this could lead to
If successful, this trial could establish a simple, low-cost technique to improve cardioversion success, reducing the need for additional medications or invasive procedures for many patients with atrial fibrillation.
What could go wrong
This is a single trial testing two modifications to a standard procedure; results may not show a meaningful difference, or benefits may not apply to all patient groups.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 1,750 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2023

Expected to finish

Aug 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Consenting adult patients scheduled for non-emergent electrical cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter Exclusion Criteria: 1. Insufficiently anticoagulation for cardioversion as per Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines or have not undergone trans-esophageal echocardiography to rule out left atrial thrombus 2. Anatomic contraindication to anterolateral or anteroposterior placement (e.g. skin conditions or wounds)

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Atrial fibrillation are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

atrial fibrillation atrial flutter

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Atrial fibrillation Atrial flutter

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hamilton Health Sciences

    RECRUITING

    Hamilton, Ontario, L8L2X2, Canada

  • Institut Universitaire De Cardiologie Et De Pneumologie de Québec

    RECRUITING

    Québec, Quebec, Canada

  • Institut de cardiologie de Montréal

    ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  • Women's College Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.